Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Job Overview:

The Director of Food Safety & Quality provides strategic leadership and overall accountability for BARE BEANS’ food safety, quality, regulatory, and continuous improvement programs. This role leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a Food Safety & Quality Management System that meets regulatory, SQF, customer, and company requirements while supporting operational excellence and business growth.

The Director serves as a key cross-functional partner to Operations, Sales, and Leadership and is responsible for building a proactive culture where food safety and quality are shared organizational responsibilities. The role provides leadership in identifying and managing food safety and quality risks, ensuring systems are effective, practical, and aligned with the company’s mission of producing safe, high-quality products.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and continuously improve BARE BEANS Food Safety and Quality Management System, policies, procedures, programs, and performance metrics.


• Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety regulations, certification, and customer requirements, including FDA, USDA, SQF, Organic, Non-GMO, customer-specific, state, local, and other applicable standards.


• Oversee HACCP and preventative control programs, including hazard analysis,, validation, verification, monitoring, and reassessment.


• Lead food safety and quality risk assessments, including supplier, food fraud, food defense, environmental, sanitation, and foreign material risks.


• Lead SQF certification, internal audits, customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party assessments.


• Manage complaints, nonconformances, corrective actions, root cause investigations, traceability, and recall readiness.


• Develop and maintain risk-based supplier approval, monitoring, and performance programs


• Partner with Operations and other functions on new products, processes, equipment, suppliers, and facility changes to proactively manage FSQ risks.


• Develop and deliver food safety and quality training while strengthening employee competency, accountability, and food safety culture.


• Monitor FSQ and quality trends and customer feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement


• Serve as primary FSQ resource for customers, auditors, regulators, suppliers and company leadership


• Build practical, business-enabling systems that make it easy for employees and departments to consistently do the right thing

Qualifications:

• 8–10+ years of combined education and experience in food safety, quality assurance, or related fields


• Ability to self-manage and lead critical compliance initiatives


• Background in food manufacturing, food science, microbiology, or related disciplines preferred


• Strong knowledge of HACCP, PCQI, SQF, GMPs, regulatory requirements, and food safety practices.


• SQF Practitioner Certification and demonstrated competency in HACCP based food safety systems


• Experience leading audits, regulatory inspections, customer requirements, investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives


• Strong communication, analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills


• Collaborative, hands-on leader who can balance food safety and quality requirements with operational and business objectives


• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, influence cross-functional teams, and foster a strong food safety and quality culture.


• Team-oriented leader who takes ownership, builds trust, and works effectively across all levels of the organization.