VP Of Quality & Food Safety

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America's largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms, Bison, Milk for Life, and Intense Milk. Here, you'll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

The Vice President, Quality & Food Safety (VP QFS) is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, and execution of Upstate Niagara Cooperative's quality assurance and food safety programs across all manufacturing facilities. This executive role ensures that all dairy products meet or exceed regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and internal quality standards while fostering a culture of food safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Compliance

• Develop and execute a comprehensive quality and food safety strategy aligned with the organization's business objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and industry food safety requirements, including FDA, USDA, FSMA, SQF, and customer-driven standards.
• Lead the organization in achieving best-in-class food safety and quality performance through the implementation of policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Represent the Cooperative in regulatory, industry, and customer-facing engagements related to quality and food safety.

Operational Quality & Food Safety Management

• Oversee the design and maintenance of quality assurance programs, including HACCP, GMPs, allergen control, sanitation, and microbiological testing.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance food safety, quality systems, and manufacturing processes.
• Lead internal and external audits, ensuring prompt resolution of any quality or compliance issues.
• Collaborate with R&D and Operations to ensure new product innovations meet food safety and quality standards before commercialization.
• Develop and manage effective scorecards through the Circle of Success program to create a proactive quality control system to prevent quality holds, minimize downgraded products and prevent lost products.
• Manage product chilling and storage requirements to include assistance with chill tunnel management, performance guidelines and product integrity from the cooling processes.

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Quality & Food Safety team across all manufacturing locations.
• Foster a culture of accountability and ownership for food safety and quality at all levels of the organization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, and Sales, to drive quality initiatives and customer satisfaction.
• Provide guidance and coaching to plant quality managers to ensure consistency and best practices across all facilities.
• Work closely with R&D, operations, engineering, sales and safety teams to proactively create high quality systems, effective QA managers and fully compliant finished products throughout the organization.

Customer & Supplier Engagement

• Serve as the key point of contact for customers regarding quality and food safety-related inquiries, audits, and compliance requests.
• Oversee supplier qualification programs to ensure raw materials and packaging materials meet Upstate Niagara Cooperative's strict quality standards.
• Develop and implement strategies to proactively address and resolve customer complaints related to product quality or food safety.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Dairy Science, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in quality and food safety leadership within the dairy or food manufacturing industry.
• Deep expertise in food safety regulations, quality systems, and risk management.
• Proven experience leading teams in multi-site manufacturing environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Certification in HACCP, SQF, PCQI, or equivalent preferred.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and execute long-term quality and food safety strategies.
• Influential Leadership: Proven ability to engage and inspire teams while driving cultural change.
• Problem Solving: Analytical and data-driven decision-making approach to quality challenges.
• Regulatory Expertise: Deep knowledge of food safety regulations and industry best practices.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: Commitment to exceeding customer expectations and driving continuous improvement.

Pay: $212,000 - $232,000 a year *

• The salary range listed for this position represents the good faith and reasonable minimum and maximum pay for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, training, knowledge, education, and overall qualifications. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.