Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Company: Tate's Bake Shop
Location: East Moriches
Posted on: August 2, 2022

Job Description:

About Tate's
The Tate's story began when 11-year-old Kathleen King started baking cookies to sell at her parents' farm stand in Southampton, N.Y. Kathleen's love of baking and dedication to quality made her crisp, buttery cookies legendary on Long Island's East End and were the inspiration for what eventually became Tate's Bake Shop.While the Bake Shop itself is still a local favorite, Tate's cookies have won a loyal national following, delighting consumers for over 20 years. In 2018, Tate's Bake Shop was acquired by Mondel--z International and together with other recently acquired independent companies form what is known as the Mondelez Venture Companies with the shared purpose of leading the future of snacking and empowering people to snack right.Tate's is one of the fastest growing biscuit brands in the U.S., known for its signature thin-and-crispy cookies with simple, authentic, and high-quality ingredients. Over the years, Tate's has exercised its innovative spirit, extending beyond traditional cookies and expanding its portfolio to include products that meet the needs and interests of consumers, including launching Vegan (2021), Gluten Free (2010), and seasonal, limited-edition flavors. Tate's Vegan Vanilla Maple Cookies received a PEOPLE Food Award for Best Plant-Based Cookie in 2022.Tate's Bake Shop is a dynamic, fast-growing company, embodying the mindset of a highly entrepreneurial, fast-moving, and agile organization that invests in our people and our brand. -At Tate's we believe in the power of real - our goods are made with real, simple ingredients, by real, passionate people. We are obsessed with quality and strive to make the world a little sweeter. -Our culture is grounded through a set of values that foster us to Lead with Our Hearts, be Forward Thinking and embrace the importance of Winning Together.
Job SummaryResponsible for managing all aspects of the FSQA department at the plant level to include policies and procedures, compliance with government regulations, and adherence to quality standards of Company products.Provide oversight and monitoring of FSQA team and of operational processes for compliance with established procedures to include, but are not limited to SOPs, SSOPs, HACCP, GMP, Mondelez compliance and other regulatory prerequisite programs, FSQA audits and supporting company and customer FSQA programs. -Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• SQF Practitioner per definition for the site.
• Develop, implement, review, manage, and ensure compliance to HACCP, SOPs, SSOPs, GMPs, Organic, Pest Control, Sanitation, Lab testing, and Recall procedures, in addition to managing processes related to food safety and quality assurance management systems.
• Maintain current knowledge of regulatory policies, directives, and notices, and provide effective liaison with FDA & other government/regulatory agencies at the plant level, while staying in connect with Mondelez and other involved team.
• Manage auditing; Inclusive, but not limited to FDA, SQF, New York State, Kosher, Third Party, Customer specific, Gluten Free, other as specified by company.
• Leads investigations and problem-solving sessions for: - -Customer complaints for product produced at plant and co-packers -Non-compliances -Program deviations
  • Manage corrective action processes to comply with regulatory requirements to identify cause, address the product, restore control, reevaluate processes, modify procedures or improve the food safety system, and prevent recurrences.
  • Maintain microbiological sampling and testing justifications, objectives and standards for product, equipment, environment, and personnel.
  • Manage Finished Product Nutritional label and nutrition, along with claims while working closely with product development and marketing team.
  • Communicate plant testing and FSQA records data to plant management and involved teams, by doing trend analysis.
  • Collaborate with operations supervisors/designee, maintenance and production personnel to address daily issues as they arise such as operation or transportation issues, process control deviations and/or product noncompliance, Including, but not limited to: temperature, sanitation, pest control, specifications, foreign objects, analytical and packaging specs, etc.
  • Ensure FSQA resources are available to meet plant schedule needs.
  • Manages and completes all product specification updates and communicates with sales and customer service teams to ensure proper use.
  • Monitor the integrity of structures and equipment defects that may create food safety and sanitation deficiencies/non compliances.
  • Maintain, coordinate, and improve quality assurance objectives. Inspect, identify, inform, and resolve any issue with production and facilities management.
  • Provide and establish internal and external reports, as deemed necessary.
  • Train and document employee training regarding the principles and practices of HACCP, SOPs, SSOPs, GMPs, and defined regulatory pre-requisite programs.
  • Responsible for defining, training and documentation of process controls and procedural practices for optimal productivity and product integrity.
  • Ensuring accountability for the quality and safety of food products.
  • Responsible for ensuring success on all third party, Mondelez compliance, FDA, SQF and customer audits.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned & necessary to achieve objectives. -Supervisory ResponsibilitiesManage FSQA & Sanitation technical team members. Carry 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, coaching, and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
    Skills/Knowledge/Abilities
    • Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science or related field
    • Minimum five (5) years quality assurance experience in food processing, including two (2) years managerial experience in food safety and product quality
    • HACCP, PCQI and SQF certified
    • Ability to use mathematical and statistical knowledge to assess & present data and determine process capabilities.
    • Experience with customer and vendor management as well as familiarity with third-party auditing processes.
    • Strong leadership skills with an ability to build trust, provide direction, and vitality to execute with excellence and achieve desired results.
    • Ability to organize, prioritize and follow through to achieve results and meet deadlines to meet the needs of the business.
    • Ability to interact and communicate effectively within the Company and with Corporate & with regulatory agency personnel
    • Proficiency in all aspects of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Access, Power Point)
    • Labeling experience desired
    • Bilingual in English and Spanish highly preferred
      -EEO STATEMENT:Tate's Bake Shop is an equal employment opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics or other characteristic protected by law.
      OTHER DUTIES:Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Keywords: Tate's Bake Shop, New Haven , Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, Executive , East Moriches, Connecticut