Quality Improvement Lead

The position ensures successful continuous improvement of Riverside's Food Safety and Quality Assurance System by providing leadership through strong knowledge and experience of managing food safety and quality incidents, conducting root cause analysis, risk assessment, CAPA program and meeting food safety and quality targets. Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. is a Canadian-based, family-owned, B-Corp certified company that manufactures snacks such as MadeGood and GOOD TO GO. Please note this role is an existing vacancy. Salary range: $70,000 - $85,000 CAD, reflecting target compensation at the time of posting.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate and uphold Riverside Natural Food's core values; Manage food safety and quality incidents including consumer and customer complaints, product holds and internal non-conformances to ensure product safety and quality; Lead investigations and root cause analysis (RCA), place necessary products on hold in SAP systems; Review and analyze data from food safety records and quality verification checks to identify trends and implement corrective action; Lead cross-functional teams in identifying food safety and quality improvement opportunities, writing incident reports and implementing and completing action plans; Work closely with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Engineering, Facility, R&D and other departments to implement and sustain improvement initiatives; Ensure consistent execution of Food Safety and Quality Management Programs, internal procedures and BRC compliance; Establish, develop, implement and monitor improvement strategies, plans and KPIs, and report results to stakeholders; Use statistical methods, data analysis and sampling plans to monitor product and process performance, build run charts and control charts for CTQs and CTPs; Develop, update and implement improvement policies, procedures and food safety and quality plans; Identify training opportunities, train the trainer and ensure employees are trained in food safety and quality improvement methodologies and tools; Promote a culture of excellence and improvement awareness across the organization; Develop innovative solutions to food safety and quality issues and provide improvement reports to senior leadership; Perform other duties as assigned to support FSQA programs; Reduce customer complaints and CAPA recurrence, develop process mapping for one line per year, and deliver annual RCA training

Requirements

Diploma or degree in Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical or other related disciplines; Minimum of 3 years of FSQA experience in food manufacturing and relevant food safety and quality programs in similar roles (quality improvement, continuous improvement, process improvement); Experience with highly automated food manufacturing lines for continuous and batch processes; Strong understanding of hazard analysis, HACCP, GMPs, FM prevention, microbiology, pest control and other food safety related programs; Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and experience in a QI-focused environment with demonstrated application on actual projects on production sites; Strong understanding of statistics, product sampling standards/programs and SPC, with experience in SPC technologies such as Minitab; Understanding and knowledge of commercialization processes, food safety and quality attributes and their impact; Experience in investigation processes, root cause analysis methodologies and corrective action plans (CAPA); Ability to be persuasive, assertive and collaborative with diverse teams; Exceptional time management, organizational and implementation skills; Self-starter with a high level of initiative and adaptability; Strong interpersonal and communication skills with follow-through; Analytical, with problem-identification and problem-solving capabilities, detail oriented

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits program with Riverside covering the costs; RRSP matching or 401k matching; Eligibility to participate in Riverside's Profit Sharing Plan; Join Employee-Led Resource Groups (ERGs); Riverside University program; Tuition Reimbursement Program; Open concept work environment