Quality Assurance Program Manager Jobs in Arkansas

Stuttgart Rice Division Quality Assurance Manager

Job Location: Stuttgart Rice Division Stuttgart, AR.

RICELAND

FAMILY FARMER OWNED

Riceland Overview

Riceland Foods and its family farmers have provided the world with wholesome, nutritious rice since 1921. Grown in the United States, our rice is known for its high quality and versatility, and that's why Riceland has become a trusted brand around the globe. Riceland is a cooperative, which means we are owned by our 5,500 family farmer members who are also our stockholders and growers.

Company Mission Statement

Riceland, a farmer owned cooperative, helps farmers feed the world, sustainably.

Job Description

Riceland Foods is looking for a Quality Assurance Manager at our Stuttgart Rice Division. The Quality Assurance (QA) Manager and Secondary SQF Practitioner – Stuttgart Rice Division is responsible for the administration of the overall quality and food safety for the Stuttgart facility. The QA Manager plans, coordinates, and directs quality assurance and food safety programs designed to ensure quality and the safe food production of products consistent with established standards and regulations by performing the following duties personally, or through subordinate supervisors. The QA Manager is actively involved in the process of continuous improvement throughout the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Quality and Food Safety Specific:

a. Formulates and maintains quality assurance objectives complementary to corporate policies and goals.

b. From a quality assurance and food safety perspective, oversees and trains all quality control and warehouse/utility personnel during their performance of loading/unloading and shipping/receiving operations involving barges, trucks, and railcars, maintains strict adherence to shipping schedules, and orders.

c. Verifies the documentation on all outbound carriers.

d. Coordinates government inspections for all loading operations.

e. Maintains, communicates, reviews, and verifies the implementation of the Food Safety (HARPC) plan.

f. Reviews all data obtained during all quality assurance activities to ensure consistency with company policies and procedures.

g. Develop new approaches to solve problems identified during quality assurance activities.

h. Keeps management team abreast of significant issues or developments identified during quality assurance activities and the actions being taken to correct the issues.

i. Prepares and presents technical and program information to the management team.

j. Directs technical and administrative workers engaged in quality assurance and food safety activities.

k. Maintains a working knowledge of government regulations, industry quality assurance and food safety codes, and standards.

l. Investigates and adjusts customer complaints regarding quality and food safety. Ensures all corrective actions are completed correctly and in a timely manner.

2. Safe Quality Food (SQF) Secondary Practitioner Specific:

a. Works closely with the Primary SQF Practitioner to plan and organize future GFSI/SQF audits as required. May assume this responsibility in the absence of the Primary SQF Practitioner.

b. Works closely with the Primary SQF Practitioner to verify and validate the SQF System, assumes responsibility for food safety, training of the SQF system, and review of changes made to food safety fundamentals or the HARPC plan. May assume this responsibility in the absence of the Primary SQF Practitioner.

c. The practitioner has the authority and responsibility to oversee the development and implementation of policies, procedures, forms, and all aspects of the SQF program by working with corporate management and division staff.

d. The practitioner has authority to take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of the SQF system. These actions are coaching, training, auditing, and having management, division staff or supervisors correct or improve systems, processes, or procedures. This also includes updating the food safety plan when there are changes and reviewing and updating the food safety on an annual basis.

3. Manages the day-to-day workflow in the QA Department.

4. Inspect employees’ work for quality and quantity.

5. Coordinate and audit the effectiveness of the QA program.

6. Maintains SQF, HACCP and PCQI certifications.

7. Selects, disciplines, trains and terminates applicable employees according to Riceland policies.

8. Determines the root cause of any opportunity or problem before developing any or all action plans.

9. Adheres to and ensures that all QA Department Staff adheres to all division employee safety policies and procedures.

10. Develop, implement, and maintain a quality program that meets the current requirements determined by the Director of Quality and Food Safety.

11. Develop, implement, and maintain a food safety program and plan that meets the current requirements determined by the Director of Quality and Food Safety.

12. Review Quality Control documents to verify product quality.

13. Assist with implementing Good Manufacturer Practices (GMP).

14. Assist with and lead as needed any internal and external audits.

15. Maintain the CAR database and coordinate corrective action responses.

a. Evaluate and determine disposition for returned product and product placed on hold.

b. Review all customer complaints and suggest plans to limit the recurrence of problems.

c. Outline product deficiencies and suggest corrections and the tracking of those corrective actions until discrepancies are resolved.

16. Perform special projects assigned by the Director of Quality and Food Safety and perform other duties as the need arises.

17. Initiate traceability exercises and provide a summary of the exercise which shall include the resolution of any issues.

18. Ensure completion and distribution of Certificates of Analysis per customer requests.

19. Administer or manage required relevant training for departmental staff.

20. Communicate with production managers and other operational employees on issues relevant to quality and food safety.

21. Attend meetings relevant to production and quality as required.

22. Coordinate FDA responses when needed.

23. Conduct tours of facilities as needed.

24. Obtain and distribute product samples as requested from both internal and external sources.

25. Maintain files for all records that flow through Quality Assurance.

26. Maintain, review and approve vendor documentation in accordance with the vendor approval policy and as assigned by supervision.

27. Any other duties assigned by manager.

SUPERVISION RESPONSIBILITIES

Directly supervises employees in the QA Department. Fulfills supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Riceland's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Provide training regarding quality and food safety issues.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from four-year college or university and/or five years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of educational and experience and a minimum of three years of management experience is preferred. Other relevant training and/or experience may be taken into consideration.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Driver’s License, HARPC/HACCP training and certification, PCQI training and certification, SQF training and certification. Other relevant training and certifications may be required by supervision.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Regular contacts with Vice Presidents, directors, division staff, office staff and Quality Assurance personnel, Sales, hourly personnel, and others as needed.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Regular contacts with customers, vendors, third party auditors, FGIS, clergy, contractors, partnerships, university personnel, government agencies, and others as needed.

USE OF EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS

Must be or have the ability to be proficient in the use of a personal computer, various associated software programs and standard office equipment. Proficient in the use of all related equipment and tools.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Ability to utilize both internal and external resources to obtain information and data necessary to conduct routine assignments and special projects. Must have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management and staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands or arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; works with explosives; and risk of vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Company Benefits and Incentives

• Medical insurance with low premiums

• Free dental with medical insurance enrollment

• Vision insurance with low premiums

• Free basic life insurance, up to 3x basic annual earnings

• Voluntary term life (rates depends on the age and salary of the employee)

• Long term disability

• Free short-term disability

• Accident insurance, for unexpected healthcare expenses due to accidents

• Critical illness insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• 401K with company match 4% of an employee’s 5%

• Paid training programs.

PTO & Paid Holidays

Riceland Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Riceland Foods provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.