Manager, Plant Food Safety & Quality

Why Grande?

With more than 80 years of crafting "The Finest Italian Cheeses Money Can Buy", Grande is a leader in the industry! Whether partnering with independent pizzerias from coast-to-coast to ensure they're delivering the very best pizza to their customers or assisting our food manufacturing partners in delivering specialty whey ingredient solutions, our commitment to quality can't be matched. While Grande's reputation of excellence in the market is important, we believe our commitment to our workplace and community culture is of equal merit - our Associates come first at Grande. To complement our industry-leading benefits, Grande puts an emphasis on your career growth opportunities, while always promoting a positive work/life balance and supporting the communities in which we live and work. If you want to learn more about our company - what we do and how we go about it - or learn more about our beautiful, state-of-the-art corporate headquarters, visit www.grande.com.

Why Fond du Lac?

In Fond du Lac (FDL) you get the full four-season experience - warm in the summer with highs reaching into the 80s and plenty of sunshine for golf, biking, camping and live music under the open sky, and brisk air in the winter with average temps in the 20s and ample snow for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and winter festivals. The greater FDL area (population 43,000) is easy to get around and roughly an hour drive to almost all major metros in the state (Milwaukee, Madison and Fox Cities/Green Bay). We've been rated "Top 100" in job growth among small U.S. metro areas. Additionally, our cost of living is 4% below the national average and you'll pay 21% less for housing, rent and property taxes compared to the rest of the country. From wonderful educational partners (public and private K12 schools and three local colleges/universities), a plethora of things to do/see, and a vibrant business and commerce community…learn more about how you can call Fond du Lac, HOME!

Did we convince you yet? If not check out our unique benefits:

• Low-cost onsite health clinics.
• Free onsite fitness center.
• Free healthy snacks throughout facility.
• Health and wellness reimbursement program.
• Associate cheese purchasing program.
• Two-year mentorship program.
• Paid Paternal Leave.

Job Summary

Join our team as a Manager, Food Safety & Quality, where you'll lead food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance at our Fond du Lac, WI facility. In this high-impact role, you'll drive plant-wide initiatives to implement best-in-class food safety and quality programs, ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. You'll also mentor and develop a skilled team, championing professional growth and accountability, while partnering closely with plant and corporate leadership to strengthen our food safety culture and uphold Grande's reputation for delivering exceptional, trademark-quality products.

What you need to be considered for the role:

• 4 Year Bachelors Degree in Food Science, Quality Management, or related field required. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• Eight (8) or more years related experience required.

• Licenses & Certifications:

• SQF Practitioner/Implementation (or similar GFSI scheme), HACCP, PCQI required.

• Ability / willingness to travel to our Distribution Center in Lomira, WI approximately 5% of the time.

• Knowledge of SQF and other quality regulations, codes, and standards required.

• Knowledge of Federal, State, and Local food and water regulations, including CFR, FSMA, the PMO, and Bioterrorism Act.

• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.

• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical information, instructions and details and utilize to guide methods and procedures.

• Advanced project management, leadership, and delegation skills; able to lead projects, assign tasks and achieve results through others.

• Knowledge of manufacturing and engineering processes.

• Organized and detail oriented.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, basic experience with laboratory software and manufacturing databases.

• Knowledge of microbiology as it pertains to food safety and quality.

Preferred:

• Food and dairy industry experience preferred.
• Root Cause Analysis and Six Sigma Training preferred.
• ASQ Certified Quality Manager designation preferred.
• Six sigma and/or lean manufacturing experience desirable.