Quality Manager - Food Safety

ABOUT THE ROLE

Packaging Exchange is a packaging distribution company operating 22 locations across the United States, supplying corrugated boxes, aluminum cans, expanded foam, film, stretch wrap, tape, and other packaging materials to our customers. We are hiring a Quality Manager, based primarily out of our Wilson, NC facility with travel to our other facilities, to take ownership of product quality and food safety company-wide building out our specification and incoming inspection programs and leading Packaging Exchange to SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification. This is a hands-on role: the right candidate is equally comfortable running physical product tests on the warehouse floor, writing and defending a HACCP plan, preparing the company for an SQF audit, and resolving a customer nonconformance.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

· Administer the First Article Inspection (FAI) process for every new item, new supplier, and specification revision before it enters active inventory.

· Develop, implement, monitor, and maintain the nonconforming material process and the supplier quality program, including supplier corrective action requests (SCARs) and supplier qualification decisions.

· Serve as Packaging Exchange’s SQF Practitioner own the SQF Code, lead the certification journey from gap assessment through audit, and keep all required evidence current.

· Develop, implement, monitor, and maintain the HACCP plan and prerequisite programs, including pest control, allergen management, foreign body controls, sanitation, personnel hygiene, and chemical management.

· Develop, implement, monitor, and maintain product traceability and recall readiness, including lot-level traceability and annual mock recall exercises.

· Develop, implement, monitor, and maintain the customer complaint and quality claim process end to end intake, investigation, root cause, corrective action, and customer response.

· Develop, implement, monitor, and maintain the specification library for all procured product, including board grade, flute profile, ECT/burst rating, dimensions, print/color standards, and labeling requirements.

· Design and administer the incoming inspection program, including sampling plans, accept/reject criteria, and physical product testing (ECT, BCT, burst, caliper, basis weight).

· Maintain the document and record control system, the internal audit program, and the corrective and preventive action (CAPA) system.

· Report quality and food safety KPIs to leadership and train warehouse, receiving, and management staff on SQF Code requirements relevant to their roles.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree in Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and experience considered.

· Minimum five (5) years of progressive quality or food safety experience in packaging, food manufacturing, or food distribution, including two (2)+ years directly owning a food safety or quality certification program.

· Hands-on experience in a SQF-certified environment or equivalent GFSI scheme (BRCGS, FSSC 22000, AIB); experience leading SQF gap assessments and certification audits strongly preferred.

· Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining HACCP plans and prerequisite programs. HACCP/PCQI/SQF Practitioner certification required, or must be obtained within 90 days of hire.

· Experience running incoming inspection programs, dispositioning nonconforming material, and driving supplier corrective action to closure.

· Experience managing lot-level traceability systems and executing mock recall exercises in a food-contact packaging or food manufacturing environment.

· Proven ability to build and sustain a document and record control system that withstands a SQF or equivalent third-party audit.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; comfort in an ERP or WMS environment (NetSuite experience a plus).

· Ability to write clear procedures for a warehouse audience and present findings credibly to leadership, customers, and certification body auditors.

Packaging Exchange is a company with multiple locations throughout the United States. We pride ourselves on customer service and company culture.