We have an opening for a Director, Plant QFS (Quality & Food Safety) based in our City of Industry, California beverage manufacturing facility.   As a member of the Plant Leadership Team, the Director, Plant QFS (Quality & Food Safety) will oversee the plant quality department and contribute to the overall, long-term success of the organization. In this role, you will deliver the value promises to the customer and consumer by ensuring conformity in product, processes and behaviors. Act as guardian of compliance to legal and regulatory standards (master governance) by driving the delivery of the “best product every day, every time" and acting as a product superiority ambassador at the plant level.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Finished Product Superiority

• Ensure Food Safety & Conformity of all products delivered to market, consistently with the plant’s overall safety, quality, cost, delivery, mobilization, and nature scorecard specifications.
• Responsible to validate and sign all specifications related to raw materials, packaging, and finished product, including workflow validations associated with the plant.
• Ensures full compliance with finished product Quality & Food Safety Sampling /Control / Monitoring plan.
• Ensures compliance with Local regulations, global Danone procedures and systematically execute against Danone North America specifications.
• Drive the culture of quality at the plant level - support KPI tracking and improvement.
• Build / animate and implement solid action plans for key Quality metrics (KPI's) including but not limited to consumer complaints, first pass cases, specification conformance/ABC, and finished goods losses (micro and non-micro).

Quality in all the Plant processes and projects

• Act as primary point of contact for quality at plant level: ensure quality voice presence for all matters within the plant.
• Establishment and leadership of the plant’s Quality Pillar within the company’s TPM/Lean program.
• Ensure full compliance with Raw & Packs & Process Quality & Food Safety Sampling, Control and Monitoring plan.
• Manage Plant Laboratory ensuring maintenance of service to production, analytical expertise, equipment maintenance, and analyst training.
• Accountable for the plant metrology program (calibrations) and Quality & Food Safety preventive maintenance (cPM) program.
• Ensure full compliance with the Danone Food Safety Policy, and Danone standard's execution - comply with Federal and Local regulations including Low Acid Canned Foods, and Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (among other required certifications).
• Organize with suppliers & sourcing quality and implement incoming inspection processes with consistent feedback for suppliers.
• Develop process capability & quality visual management at all steps of the manufacturing process (incoming, production, storage, maintenance, etc.).
• Eradicate critical Q&FS issues through a systematic PDCA approach as they arise.  Manage non-conformance & continuous improvement in timely manner.
• Accountable for product release and rules for non-conforming product management.
• Ensure compliance with sanitation and environmental programs.
• Promote Risk Assessment and “Built-in Quality” in all projects: productivity, new products, new equipment in compliance with Danone Global Technical Standards, regulatory standards, etc.
• Responsible for the quality related elements of the company change management process - including but not limited to validation activities associated with plant trials.
• Organize audits vs internal & external referential and use them as improvement opportunities, leading plant action plans to address audit findings.

People and Processes Management

• Continuously engage key stakeholders inside and outside the organization on quality initiatives (This includes plant leadership, universities, federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, corporate function representatives, etc.).
• Communicate and assure the execution of QFS policies including the escalation and communication of issues and results in a timely manner.
• Lead by setting behavioral examples aligned with the Danone Leadership Behaviors.
• Build and manage the Q&FS budget for the plant (FTE, Opex, Capex) in collaboration with the Plant Director and with Corporate Quality.
• Manage and animate all certifications systems, including but not limited to GFSI/FSSC 22000 Certification, Kosher, Organic, etc.
• Organize trainings & coach plant teams for daily quality management, particularly First Line Managers.
• Develop the Quality team and promote mobility and cross-functionally.

The base compensation range for this position is $155K - $175K per year commensurate with experience. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options.   

ABOUT YOU:

• You have a bachelor's degree in food science or microbiology or related field and have a minimum of 10 years of quality experience within a food or beverage manufacturing environment, required. Prior experience in the dairy industry is strongly desired.  
• Also highly desired:  Aseptic technology experience, prior Quality experience within a California Dairy manufacturing plant environment, and/or experience with IWS or Lean Manufacturing where you have an understanding of lean principles.  
• You have prior experience managing people, required.  
• You have highly developed communication, leadership, interpersonal, project management skills, coupled with organizational sensitivity and the ability to influence key decision makers at all levels.
• You act as a change agent who is able to build positive relationships on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
• You have technical expertise in finding root cause of quality issues and implementing best solution possible.
• You have formal root cause analysis training preferred and must be demonstrated.
• You have the ability to sift through data to find key factors that contribute to a successful product and the ability to communicate this information to non-technical plant leaders and employees.
• You are able to anticipate and prepare a 3–5-year strategic vision for Quality excellence.
• You are knowledgeable of local, state, and federal quality regulations is desired.

ABOUT US:

At Danone North America, you’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world like Activia, Silk, Two Good, Oikos, evian, and Happy Family. You’ll be part of the largest Certified B Corp™ in the world, working together to make sure our brands create real benefits for people, communities, and the planet. We have 6,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada. Come join our movement for a healthier world: One Planet. One Health BY YOU.

Danone North America doesn’t just welcome what makes you unique, we value it. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All hires to our team are based on qualifications, merit and business needs. We recruit, employ, train and promote regardless of race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, genetic characteristic or any other protected status. Faithful to our values of openness and humanism, all our employees share in the commitment to engage one another with dignity and respect. http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf
https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf

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