Food Safety Microbiologist Jobs in Decatur, GA (NOW HIRING)

Job Description

Quality Assurance (QA) Manager / Food Safety Manager

Carlyle's Market

Wholesale Food Manufacturing | Ready-to-Eat Foods | Grab & Go | Commissary | USDA/FDA

Processing Facility

Position Summary

The Quality Assurance (QA) Manager / Food Safety Manager is responsible for developing,

implementing, and maintaining Carlyle's Market's comprehensive Food Safety and Quality

Management System. This position ensures compliance with all applicable FDA, USDA,

Georgia Department of Agriculture, FSMA, HACCP, GMP, and local health regulations

governing the production of wholesale, retail, and ready-to-eat food products.

This individual serves as the facility's food safety authority, overseeing regulatory compliance,

sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, quality assurance, product traceability, recall

readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives while supporting operational excellence

throughout the processing facility.

The QA Manager reports directly to the Culinary Director and works closely with Operations,

Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, Logistics, and Executive Leadership.

Essential Responsibilities

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain Food Safety Programs compliant with:

o FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

o Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)

o HACCP

o USDA Regulations

o Georgia Department of Agriculture

o FDA Preventive Controls for Human Food

• Serve as Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) or obtain certification.

• Maintain facility licensing and regulatory documentation.

• Ensure compliance with all inspections and regulatory audits.• Manage third-party food safety audits.

• Maintain food defense and food fraud prevention programs.

HACCP & Preventive Controls

• Develop and maintain HACCP plans.

• Validate Critical Control Points (CCPs).

• Verify preventive controls.

• Monitor critical limits.

• Review corrective actions.

• Conduct annual HACCP reassessments.

• Validate cooking, cooling, reheating, packaging, and storage processes.

Quality Assurance

• Oversee incoming ingredient inspections.

• Approve suppliers.

• Verify Certificates of Analysis (COAs).

• Conduct product quality evaluations.

• Develop product specifications.

• Monitor shelf-life validation.

• Approve finished products for release.

Sanitation & Environmental Monitoring

• Develop Master Sanitation Schedule.

• Verify sanitation effectiveness.

• Conduct ATP verification.

• Coordinate microbiological testing.

• Oversee environmental monitoring.

• Validate cleaning procedures.

• Ensure allergen cleaning verification.

Ready-to-Eat & Grab-and-Go Production

Oversee food safety for:• Ready-to-Eat Meals

• Grab & Go Sandwiches

• Salads

• Wraps

• Heat & Eat Meals

• Retail Foods

• Wholesale Products

• Catering Production

• Vacuum Sealed Products

• Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

• Tamper Evident Packaging

Labeling & Packaging Compliance

Ensure compliance with:

• FDA Labeling Requirements

• Nutrition Facts

• Ingredient Statements

• Allergen Declarations

• Net Weight

• UPC Accuracy

• Lot Coding

• Date Coding

• Traceability Requirements

• Tamper-Evident Packaging Standards

Traceability & Recall Management

Maintain:

• Product Traceability

• Lot Tracking

• Supplier Records

• Recall Plans

• Mock Recall Exercises

• Recall Documentation

• Distribution RecordsSupplier Quality Assurance

• Approve suppliers.

• Conduct supplier evaluations.

• Maintain Approved Supplier Program.

• Review food safety certifications.

• Verify COAs.

• Investigate supplier complaints.

Training & Leadership

Develop and administer training for:

• GMPs

• HACCP

• Allergen Controls

• Food Defense

• Food Fraud

• Personal Hygiene

• Cross Contamination Prevention

• Temperature Control

• Recall Procedures

• OSHA Safety

Documentation & Recordkeeping

Maintain records for:

• HACCP Logs

• Temperature Logs

• Receiving Logs

• Cooling Logs

• Cooking Logs

• Reheating Logs

• Metal Detection (if applicable)

• Calibration Logs

• Sanitation Logs

• Pest Control

• Environmental Monitoring

• Waste Logs

• Corrective Actions• CAPA Reports

• Internal Audits

Continuous Improvement

• Analyze quality trends.

• Reduce food waste.

• Improve product consistency.

• Improve audit scores.

• Reduce customer complaints.

• Improve shelf life.

• Lead Root Cause Analysis investigations.

• Implement CAPA programs.

Qualifications

Required

Bachelor's Degree in:

• Food Science

• Food Safety

• Microbiology

• Biology

• Culinary Science

• Related Field

OR

Equivalent combination of education and food manufacturing experience.

Experience

Minimum:

• 5+ years Food Manufacturing QA

• Ready-to-Eat Production

• USDA/FDA Facility

• HACCP Management• Food Safety Leadership

Preferred:

• Commissary Operations

• Wholesale Distribution

• Retail Food Manufacturing

• High Volume Production

Certifications

Required or ability to obtain:

• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual)

• HACCP Certification

• ServSafe Manager

• SQF Practitioner (Preferred)

• Internal Auditor

• Allergen Management

• Food Defense Training

Knowledge

Strong knowledge of:

• FDA Regulations

• USDA Regulations

• FSMA

• HACCP

• GMPs

• SSOPs

• Food Microbiology

• Shelf-Life Validation

• Product Testing

• Recall Procedures

• Environmental Monitoring

• Allergen Controls

• Labeling Laws

• Cold Chain ManagementSkills

• Leadership

• Attention to Detail

• Root Cause Analysis

• Risk Assessment

• Regulatory Compliance

• Documentation

• Auditing

• Team Development

• Communication

• Problem Solving

• Time Management

• Microsoft Office

• ERP Systems

• Quality Management Software

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The QA Manager will be evaluated on:

• FDA/USDA Inspection Results

• Health Inspection Scores

• Audit Scores (≥95%)

• Customer Complaint Rate

• Recall Readiness

• Product Holds

• Corrective Action Closure

• Food Safety Training Completion (100%)

• Environmental Monitoring Compliance

• Label Accuracy (100%)

• Temperature Compliance

• Product Traceability (100%)

• Shelf-Life Validation

• Supplier Compliance

• Waste Reduction

• CAPA Completion Rate

• Regulatory CompliancePhysical Requirements

• Ability to stand for extended periods.

• Lift up to 50 lbs.

• Work in refrigerated and freezer environments.

• Frequent walking throughout production and warehouse areas.

• Wear required PPE.

• Ability to inspect production processes and finished products.

Our Commitment

At Carlyle's Market, food safety is the foundation of our business. The Quality Assurance

Manager plays a critical leadership role in protecting our customers, ensuring regulatory

compliance, maintaining product integrity, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

This position is instrumental in delivering safe, high-quality, ready-to-eat foods that meet the

highest standards of excellence across our wholesale, retail, catering, and grab-and-go

operations.

Family catering business founded in 1976, $20,000,000.00 in sales in 2025. Started out in corporate catering but growing our business in social and event catering, plus a newly formed wholesale division. Opened a premier event location in October 2019, The Carlyle Venue, on Piedmont Road, Atlanta. Our corporate headquarters is located in the trendy west side of Atlanta. We believe in a collaborative team oriented environment. The majority of our employees have been here 5+ years or more! Come see what makes us great, work in a environment where YOU are a "part" of something and not just another piece. Be an impact player today!