We have an opening for a Quality Engineer based in Mount Crawford, VA!

The Quality Engineer will support the implementation of the Danone North America Quality Assurance standards through technical guidance, analysis, and leadership to continuously improve quality performance.  The Quality Engineer is accountable for capability assessment and improvement in the areas of food safety controls, product specification performance, as well as cleaning and sanitation validation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide technical guidance, analysis, and leadership driving improvements in sanitation processes/systems, and food manufacturing processes.
• Assess process capability across key product platforms.
• Compile and analyze KPIs indicative of production line health (quality performance, microbiological quality, preventive maintenance, sanitation effectiveness, etc.) and drive improvement actions.
• Support the analysis of customer and consumer feedback to identify improvement opportunities.  Drive improvement by implementing corrective actions.
• Troubleshoot non-conformances (raw materials, packaging, product, environmental monitoring, etc.) and drive root cause analysis.  Assign corrective action, collaborate with supply-quality and other functions, and follow-up on completion.
• Support the validation of cleaning effectiveness via the Neptune (sanitation) program.
• Improvement and maintenance of Quality Notification program.
• Lead change management processes related to new products, packaging, equipment, production processes, etc.
• Providing expertise on raw and packaging material issues. 
• Acting as the liaison between the plant teams and all raw and packaging material vendors. 
• Submitting and tracking all non-conforming raw and packaging materials. 
• Contributing to reach plant wide KPIs and action items as a member of the Plant Quality Team. 
• Supporting the plant industrialization team on trials and new material launches. 
• Leading consumer and customer complaint investigation and follow-up corrective actions for assigned production lines. 
• Implementing Quality initiatives and projects related to systems and procedures. 
• Support plant GFSI and FSMA initiatives and participate as a member of the Food Safety Team.
• Support the development of quality and sanitation SOPs.
• Provide training and mentoring to operations teams on food safety and quality related topics to develop a strong quality culture.
• Will manage different projects for Quality based on operational and business needs.

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.    

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a science related field (Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Microbiology, Food Safety, or similar) or other technical discipline.
• 3-5 years of experience in the dairy/food/beverage manufacturing industry, including supervisory experience.
• Proven ability to establish, optimize and maintain world-class quality system and team.
• Prior experience using structured and data driven problem-solving techniques (RCPS, DMAIC, Six-sigma, LEAN, etc.).
• Excellent communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to influence others and be a team player.
• The ability to develop/implement core work practices and standards that ensure excellence in quality.
• The ability to rapidly assess, analyze, and quickly resolve complicated quality problems with little initial information or direction and with varying degrees of ambiguity.
• The ability to multitask and manage priorities while allocating time to long-term, quality continuous improvement projects.
• Strong “self-management” skills and be comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Established project management skills. Must bring leadership, interpersonal and communication skills required to interact with various levels of plant and corporate personnel and influence others.
• Willingness to work flexible schedules as needed to support 7-day per week, 24-hour per day production facilities. Work schedules could include occasional off-shift or weekend work.

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 one of the largest Certified B Corps™ 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 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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