Hiring Quality Assurance and Quality Control Executives in the Food Sector have never been more important. With the ISO 22000 implementation and certification process, HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) requirements, BioTerrorism Act compliance mandated, these professionals have much more to accomplish than “merely” keeping bacteria out of the food.
Ironically the lean initiatives implemented by so many food manufacturers in the past year have not translated continued process improvement theory into the hiring practices of these much needed professionals. Antiquated advertising methods, tedious interviewing processes, and unclear delineation of quality skill sets are hampering the very nature of “lean” and introducing a wasteful and inefficient methodology for selecting the best candidates.
Headhunters, placement firms, and recruiters have rarely kept up with the evolution and changes that impact Food Quality Assurance Executives. The need for quality leaders with the right mix of skills, experience and cultural compatibility is critical. In this highly competitive environment, the movement of management talent is vital; food manufacturers must take full advantage of a pool of experienced, well-educated, and highly skilled quality leaders.
While every QA executive conducts different functions, leading Food Manufacturing Quality Assurance placement firm, ResourceMFG division vice-president, Julie Maydew suggested that, “Quality Control Managers often must manage food safety systems and quality programs, policies, procedures, and processes that are designed and necessary to ensure food safe products; comply with government regulations and adhere to quality standards and specifications for natural/organic fresh foods manufacturer. They must also provide oversight and monitoring of operational processes for compliance with procedures to include SSOP, HACCP, GMP, and other regulatory pre-requisite programs, FSQA audits, and supporting company or customer FSQA programs; plan and coordinate all quality assurance programs and activities, update product specifications, provide quality-related technical services, and participate in the review of product quality and process control issues. Understanding these nuances allows us to provide only the best candidate for these quality executive positions within the food manufacturing sector.”
Of equal importance are QA operators and technicians. Without competent staff at these middle operational levels, quality may be compromised; the same rigor in these quality staff positions must be exercised as the executive level selection process.
ResourceMFG developed a sample list of more than two dozen requirements often sought when selecting Quality Assurance professionals for the Food Manufacturing sector. This is not an exhaustive list and every placement is unique.
- Oversee, implement, review and develop policies, procedures and systems and processes related to food safety and quality assurance management systems.
- Stay abreast of regulatory policies, directives and notices, and provide effective liaison with USDA-FSIS and other government regulatory agencies.
- Monitor and enforce supplier raw material compliance regarding source supply protocol, food safety & quality.
- Maintain, audit and improve pre-operation and operational SSOP programs, define requirements for master sanitation program and sanitation performance standards, i.e., trailer and pallet sanitation, implement corrective action and verification procedures. Make necessary updates and modifications to reflect changes in processes and/or USDA-FSIS regulations.
- Manage, reassess and improve regulatory HACCP programs. Monitor, verify and validate HACCP records compliance, direct validation of HACCP program, implement corrective actions. Make necessary modifications to reflect changes in processes and/or USDA-FSIS regulations.
- Establish and monitor effective sampling, analysis and recording of test results for process control verification of pathogen reduction standards.
- Enforce, develop, audit, improve, verify, and validate GMPs, SOPs, specific performance standards, and other pre-requisite programs to included, but are limited to pest control, maintenance, vendor letters of guarantee, MSDS sheets, foreign object management, shipping and receiving, crisis management and preparedness, food security, animal welfare, analytical composition evaluation, sampling and testing, weights and measures, etc.
- Respond to USDA-FSIS regulatory noncompliance records timely and effectively.
- Manage corrective action processes to comply with regulatory requirements to identify cause, address the product, restore control, to reevaluate processes, modify procedures or improve the food safety system, and prevent recurrences.
- Establish microbiological sampling and testing justifications, objectives and standards for product, equipment, environmental and personnel.
- Responsible for managing regulatory label approval process and compliance and keeping files and records on labels.
- Responsible for monitoring the facilities structural and equipment defects that may create food safety and sanitation deficiencies or noncompliance. Coordinate with operations and maintenance to develop and manage the Plant Improvement Program (PIP).
- Establish procedural documents and work instructions to ensure process control and proper production practices and accountability.
- Define metrics to monitor, verify and validate process control and production practices that relate directly to quality assurances management systems.
- Manage data capture, analysis and interpretation to improve food safety and quality management systems.
- Responsible for documents and records control and retention.
- Manage, audit and improve product and packaging specifications, production formulations, and specific performance standards to ensure product integrity.
- Work closely and coordinate with other operations supervisors, maintenance and production personnel to assure food safety, product quality and process control functionality.
- Maintain, coordinate and improve quality assurance objectives. Inspect, identify, inform, and resolve, with production management, facilities, operational issues or transportation issues, process control deviations and/or product noncompliance i.e., temperature, sanitation, specification, foreign objects, analytical, packaging, etc.
- Investigate customer complaints with regard to product integrity, identify cause of issue, correct the deficiency and prevent recurrence.
- Provide technical support to sales and customers.
- Communicate with outsourced co-packers to ensure, monitor, verify and validate food safety and quality assurance management systems and specific performance standards and compliance requirements.
- Manage, coordinate and prepare for internal and external customer compliance and risk assessment audits.
- Oversee organic certification.
- Provide and establish internal and external reports as deemed necessary.
- Establish budgeting, cost benchmarking and controls for supplies, tests, and related overtime as applicable.
- Responsible for employee training and documentation regarding the principles and practices of HACCP, SSOP, GMP and defined regulatory pre-requisite programs. Responsible for defining, training and documentation of process controls and procedural practices for optimal productivity, product integrity and accountability of food safe, quality products.
- Assess, research and recommend technologies and innovations to improve or enhance food safety and quality systems.
- Coordinate sampling and testing with outsourced laboratory and ensure proficiency and practices.
- Support a company culture and philosophy of people, product and service integrity that is conducted in a manner to reduce environmental, social, and economic impacts and supports continuous improvement and efficient use of natural resources and sustainable practices.
| Author Biography: |
Thomas R. Cutler is the President & CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based TR Cutler, Inc., the largest manufacturing marketing firm worldwide – www.trcutlerinc.com
Cutler is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium of twenty seven hundred journalists and editors writing about trends in manufacturing. Cutler is also the author of the Manufacturers’ Public Relations and Media Guide. Cutler is a frequently published author within the manufacturing sector with more than 300 feature articles authored annually; he can be contacted at trcutler@trcutlerinc.com |
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