Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager (D971) Department:Food Safety & Quality - Decatur Location:Decatur, AR Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager About the Wellness Pet Company The Wellness Pet Company crafts and produces premium natural pet food, treats, dental chews, and supplements. We believe that natural, premium nutrition focused on proven health outcomes is the foundation of creating a mutual wellbeing for pets and their families. As a community of people, Wellies are positively obsessed about how to win for pets and their parents. We believe in the difference we make every single day, and we know that when we work collaboratively, Wellies are unstoppable -- Not only in providing the best nutrition to pets, but in building a better tomorrow for pets, their parents, and the world. The Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager will play a critical role in executing Wellness Pet-s mission to deliver high quality products, on time and on budget, as the company continues to build capacity and expand its customer base. Successful candidates for this position will have technical expertise in human and/or pet food manufacturing, be familiar with food manufacturing, comfortable with tackling complex challenges, and enthusiastic about working on a collaborative, solutions-oriented team. This manager will be responsible for managing the product/raw material trending data, exceptions and deviation requests, and product change processes. This Manager will also develop and maintain relationships across the organization, including with Product Development, Operations, Marketing, Consumer Affairs, Strategic Sourcing, and Manufacturing to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality products to our consumers. This is an excellent opportunity to join our successful, growing company. Wellness Pet offers a great work environment that supports innovation and team development and is committed to continuous improvement, personal integrity, and outstanding customer service. Position Description (Responsibilities): - Manage the product change and approval process including any changes to products, labels, or processes. Maintain strict document control - Manage exceptions and deviations requests from Wellness Pet manufacturing sites, external suppliers, and co-manufacturers, and maintain a strong document control system - Collect, trend, analyze and communicate raw material and finished product testing data - Oversee International suppliers and co-manufacturers to ensure they follow Wellness Pet policies and procedures to maintain food safety, quality, and consistency - Participate as an active member of cross-functional teams including individuals from Marketing/Sales, Product Development, Regulatory Affairs, Procurement, Operations and Manufacturing. - Develop and implement processes and procedures to ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, food safety and quality standards, customer expectations and continual process improvements - Encourage an innovative work environment by motivating, organizing, and encouraging teamwork while maintaining the team-s focus on food safety and quality - Complete training on relevant food safety and quality standards and understand his/her contribution to the achievement of company safety, quality and business objectives - Update job knowledge by participating in professional organizations, educational opportunities, and maintaining professional networks - Other duties as assigned - Living the Wellness Pet values and culture and doing whatever it takes for the pets who depend on us Position Requirements This position is ideally suited for an industry professional with a strong understanding of food safety and quality practices. Successful candidates should also have: - A Bachelor-s Degree in food science, life sciences, biology, chemistry, public health, or another related field - 5-8 years of experience working in food safety and quality for a human food or pet food company (manufacturing experience preferred) - Deep understanding of food manufacturing programs, systems, and standards including GMPs, HACCP, ISO, SQF/BRC, GFSI and FDA/USDA regulations - Excellent Project Management Skills - capable of prioritizing and handling multiple projects simultaneously, under tight time constraints and within budget - Problem Solving and Decision-Making Skills - ability to identify problems, compile information to solve problems, act decisively and show good judgment - Effective Communication - Ability to clearly articulate information through conversation, phone calls, email, written reports, and other documents - Demonstrates a positive attitude, is a team player; sees challenges as opportunities, collaborates with cross-functional teams and able to influence without authority - High level of proficiency with technology; including Microsoft Office (Excel) - High Standards - Ability to establish and maintain high standards and attention to detail that guarantees food safety, quality, and continuous improvement - Ability to be proactive and take personal responsibility to act - Learning Agility- Ability to learn quickly and use new information effectively Wellness Pet Company is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or Veteran status. #LI-JD1