Food Quality Assurance Manager

Choose a career where you can better someone else’s life, while bettering your own. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio having provided over 50 million meals in 2023 to hungry people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties. The organization’s mission is to ensure that everyone in these communities has the nutritious food they need every day.

Apply for a position at Greater Cleveland Food Bank where we offer a culture of learning and development, competitive pay and amazing benefits including Low Cost Medical, Dental, Vision, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Generous Retirement Plan, and Holiday Pay all starting on first day of hire and paid time off which starts after 90 days.

SUMMARY

Leads the Cleveland Food Bank Kitchen Quality Assurance Programs and serves as the food safety subject matter expert. Oversees implementation and maintenance of GMPs, HACCP Plans, Sanitation SOPs, and labeling programs. Reviews and maintains all required HACCP and food safety documentation. Serves as liaison to inspection staff from various regulatory agencies during day to day operations and during audits. Supervises the Inventory staff. Oversees inventory to ensure food safety compliance, allergen controls, and availability of products to meet production goals. Assists in overseeing overall production of meals prepared by the Cleveland Food Bank Kitchen. Performance of the following duties are accomplished through personal supervision or through subordinate staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is not all-inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

• Lead the HACCP team for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Kitchen Team.

• Oversee maintenance and updates to HACCP Plans for required production to meet USDA/FDA standards. This would include record keeping, daily/weekly/monthly required tasks, and updates and reviews as needed.

• Oversee the Food Defense Plan for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Kitchen and review plan annually. 

• Manage the Listeria monitoring and sampling program. Perform monthly LM testing and/or supervise 3rd party testing vendors. Complete annual water analysis testing as required.

• Serve as liaison to GCFB Compliance Department and participate in HACCP and other internal audits.

• In coordination with the Food Production Manager serve as liaison to, and follow up with, inspectors from ODA or other entities and ensure an immediate response to all non-compliance issues. 

• Maintain labels for all products to meet regulatory requirements. Oversee check of all incoming products for allergen and ingredient changes and make appropriate label changes in a timely manner.

• In coordination with Registered Dietician, maintain product formulation statements and nutrient analysis for meals to support medically-tailored meal programs. 

• Supervise and document all validation studies for CFK processes and equipment. 

• Maintain all records required for recall traceability and conduct mock recalls to evaluate procedures.

• Serve as Liaison, as needed, with Operations management during 3rd Party, and/or Feeding America, Audits of the food bank.

• Training staff members in food safety principles and practices, as well as local HACCP requirements.

• Conducting direct observations and evaluations. Documenting all required observations.

• Monitor staff to assure that they are following safe food handling guidelines and established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.

• Inspecting kitchen and storage facilities to maintain safe food handling practices to include labeling for all WIP or other products.

• Supervise the Inventory Coordinator and ensure CFK Inventory is accurately maintained, to include maintaining and reporting on PAR Levels of stock, weekly and monthly inventories, and coordinating freezer/cooler product pulls. 

• Participate in material and supply planning for CFK. In support of the Food Production Manager coordinate with approved vendors and place product orders in a timely manner to ensure efficient production. Provide feedback and updates on vendor fill rates, quality issues, or pricing changes to the VP of Food Resources. 

• In coordination with the Food Production Manager, develop and monitor of Key Performance Indicators including adherence to food quality and financial metrics, product taste, handling instructions, labeling, and menu variety. 

• Provide support to operational staff as needed to meet production and assist the Food Production Manager as needed.

• Actively support and champion initiatives aimed at driving continuous improvement throughout the organization. May participate in one of the following: LEAN council, a kaizen, 5S campaign or other process improvement efforts to support continuous improvement and improved processes within the food bank.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position directly supervises the Inventory Coordinator and Production Assistant. The Food Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for the direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, or a related field is required. In lieu of degree, at least 5 years of relevant experience is required. In addition to required education, a minimum of 3 years combined management and food service experience is preferred. Experience should encompass training in cost control, food inventory & management and regulatory guidelines governing food service. Must be certified in food protection, HACCP certified and Seafood HACCP certified. Must have strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask under minimal supervision. Knowledge of Department of Agriculture regulations is preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Excel is preferred. Required commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive work environment as demonstrated through work, life or community experience.

Physical Requirements and Environment

The physical requirements for this position include: Ability to remain in a stationary position on seldom occasions. Ability to move about inside the office and to access truck cab and deliver product frequently. Ability to operate a computer or other office productivity machinery frequently. Ability to ascend/descend stairs to access work spaces on seldom occasions. Ability to position or move body to access filing cabinets or other work equipment frequently. Ability to constantly be able to exchange accurate information, take and give direction and hear safety warnings. Ability to constantly inspect product, judge distance between equipment, shelves and permanent structures. Ability to constantly detect spoiled product or quality of meals. Ability to move office equipment/supplies frequently. Ability to lift 25-50lbs on a regular basis. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Salary Range: $60,000 - $70,000 per year

Proud to be a North Coast 99 Employer for 2017-2023

Please note that the Food Bank does not sponsor work visas for our positions. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.