Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance

Position Overview

As the Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance for Waiakea Inc., you will play a crucial role in overseeing and optimizing our quality and sanitation processes to ensure efficiency, quality, and growth. Reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, you will be responsible for managing the end-to-end of the Quality Team. This position is located in Hilo, Hawaii. Candidates must reside in Hilo, Hawaii or be willing to relocate.

Benefits:

• Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water offers competitive pay that is direct-deposited weekly
• Annual sick, personal and vacation leave
• Paid volunteer hours through the Waiakea award winning Kokua Initiative program
• Employee + Dependent(s) HMSA health/vision/prescription/dental insurance
• FSA & Dependent Care FSA with $500 employer contribution
• Discounted gym memberships
• Discounted company water
• $300 monthly child care reimbursement
• 401k with up to a 5% employer match & more!

Essential Job Functions:

• Compliance and record keeping for all mandated quality checks, testing, sampling and sanitation activities.
• Preparation and resolution for all Company Quality Audits.
• Tracking, analyzing, and leading initiatives for all quality and customer complaint issues within the plant.
• Primary plant liaison with the Customer Service, Corporate and with consumers for quality and complaint issues.
• Lead resource within plant for Company Quality initiatives including (but not limited to) the implementation of the Quality Management System.
• Preparation and maintenance of Permitting and Licensing for the plant.
• Manage budgeting, purchasing and inventory of plant operating supplies such as filters, chemicals and lab supplies.
• Responsible for managing at site level the Food Safety Quality Systems (FSQS), Food Safety Standards (FSSC 22000), and all other company or regulatory requirements.
• May have opportunities to serve as plant representative for regional quality forums and initiatives.
• Coordinate activities and develop good relationship with key vendors.
• Assist in managing the performance and development of the Plant QA Department with respect to skills, objectives, etc.
• Develop initiatives to improve plant performance against Waiakea quality measures and ensure plant compliance with company and regulatory standards.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to QA Department and act as the primary liaison to Corporate, Corporate and outside laboratories, and to external regulatory agencies (FDA, IBWA, EPA, NSF etc.).
• Oversees laboratory duties to include microbiological testing of finished product and environmental monitoring.
• Oversees stocking, rotating and maintenance of lab supplies and equipment. Completes daily paperwork and report results to Supervisor.
• Oversees performance of internal audits of plant sanitation, GMP’s and machine operation functions and reports results to Supervisor.
• Ensures that all quality systems are being adhered to and maintained at all times.
• Responsible to performing root cause/corrective action investigations for non-conformances.
• Oversees safety team activities. Monitors and enforces safety requirements.
• Builds a positive work environment.
• Analyzes and resolves work problems, or assists workers in solving work problems.
• Serves as a backup to the Quality Director in tasks relating to food safety and food quality within the facility when the Quality Director is out.

• Ability to use a computer or tablet to enter production metrics
• Ability to comprehend basic verbal and written instructions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biological sciences. Other technical degree may be considered.
• 3-5+ years prior QA management experience with beverage, food, or CPG manufacturing preferred.
• Microbiology Laboratory management
• Manufacturing line inspection
• Knowledge of Statistical Process Control, HACCP, sanitation, and hygienic design
• Hot CIP (clean in place) background a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Person must have sound administrative and computer skills.
• Person must be self-directed, aggressive, and possess the maturity commensurate with being an effective manager.

Core Values: The ideal candidate will align with our company core values:

• It’s a Kakou Thing- Work with team members to find solutions.
• Live Aloha- Be positive, love unconditionally.
• Kulia i ka nuu- Constant improvement; Strive to reach the summit.
• Be Pono- To have integrity and find harmony within yourself, the ?Aina, your community and work.
• Ho'okuleana- An action or mindset “to take responsibility.” It is our individual and collective responsibility to: participate rather than ignore, prevent rather than react and preserve rather than degrade.

Physical Requirements/Lifting Requirements:

Must be able to sit, stand, bend at the waist, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, walk, push/pull, lift, talk, and hear with or without reasonable accommodation.

Waiakea cares about the health and safety of our team members. Team members are expected to follow all safety procedures and perform their job duties as assigned

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Waiakea Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Waiakea Inc. will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals when appropriate.