JOB POSTING
Company: Wells Enterprises (a Ferrero Company)
Functional Area: Quality
The Role
Responsible for day-to-day supervision of assigned teams of employees who perform specific tasks as part of QA Logistics control and quality assurance monitoring activities, including, but not necessarily limited to, food safety and food quality concerns in a food manufacturing environment. Responsible for communicating expectations, managing accountability, and delivering desired safety, quality, delivery, and cost results. Assures direct reports comply with company and CFR requirements for food quality and food safety. Is the liaison between the warehouse, freezer team, and production facilities. Will serve as the designated SQF Practitioner for WEI-managed warehouses and freezers utilized for assigned locations; Certified in PCQI, HACCP, Internal Auditing, CQA, and SQF or able to obtain certifications in the first year. Serves as backup to QA Manager if necessary.
What You’ll Do
- Follow and enforce required SQF and safety policies, promote and acknowledge safe behavior, and appropriately address safety-related concerns.
- Administer work standards to ensure employees consistently, safely, and effectively perform assigned tasks and responsibilities following established QFSEs, SQF precepts, SOPs/Standard Work, and document the work as required. Take ownership of the training SQF requirements.
- Manage (and develop where necessary) quality activities within the warehouse and freezer processes using established Good Warehouse Practices, company policies (QFSEs), and relevant food safety regulations.
- Supports and maintains a continuous improvement (CI) and food safety culture while promoting and supporting food quality and food safety programs, including, but not necessarily limited to; FG and RM hold order management, internal audits, COA and RM PRH, quality inspections (in conjunction with QA Coordinators or relevant site QA personnel)
- Communicate openly and effectively with all warehouse and freezer management and the QA Manager regularly to ensure awareness and understanding of important information impacting the individual, team, or operation.
- Completes risk-based assessments of new and current supplier quality/food safety programs. Risk-based assessments will consist of an initial review of supplier-self assessments, reviewing ingredient attributes, and supplier food safety programs. Responsible for onsite facility audits of supplier quality/food safety programs to verify compliance with Wells quality/food safety expectations and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Develop and build the capability of people as individuals and teams through a variety of techniques and tools focused on motivation, teamwork, mentoring, and coaching. Drive individual accountability and ownership of results. Foster peer-to-peer accountability in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
- Serves as the lead SQF practitioner of the warehouse and freezer SQF plan and SQF compliance activities. Drives corrective actions and sustainability in light of SQF and other regulatory / compliance programs and initiatives. Serves similarly for other food safety or food quality audits, such as customer audits, including preparation before and action planning after the audit activities. Assists with corrective action programs for warehouse and freezer food safety and quality programs.
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Qualifications
What You’ll Bring
Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Business Administration, Education, Technology, or Communications.
Equivalent (year for year) experience with food or nutritional products manufacturing / retail firms in manufacturing or quality programs may be substituted for degree level.
A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience, preferably within a quality assurance/control role, in a medical product, food or nutritional product manufacturing or retail setting.
Previous experience in an FDA / USDA-regulated industry.
Process Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and Safe Quality Foods (SQF) certifications are required.
If not acquired before accepting the position, must attain PCQI, HACCP, and SQF certification within one year in the role.
Familiarity with food / nutritional product legislation Manufacturing Equipment.
Oracle systems warehouse management software, inventory, and logistics supply chain.
Qualification, Project Management, and (FDA & USDA 21CFR & 7 CFR or even 9 CFR) - a plus.
Knowledge of HACCP plans, FSMA Plans, microbiological, food manufacturing, quality assurance principles, federal regulations, and ice cream or dairy product manufacturing. Understanding of food safety/quality, manufacturing, and regulatory processes.
Investigation and audit skills; verbal and written communication and documentation skills; analytical, problem-solving- and decision-making skills; attention to detail; multitasking and ability to follow written/verbal instructions. Demonstrated leadership skills.
Proficient skill in using Microsoft Office software (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc).
Self-motivated, self-starter, and able to work with limited direction; establish strong relationships throughout the organization and supply chain.
Able and willing to travel up to 25% of the time.
Ability to understand the overall business operation and the impact of decisions, performance, and behavior.
Effectively listen, offer solutions, and resolve concerns/issues, work in a collaborative environment, establish and shift priorities as needed, and organize and coordinate multiple tasks and to work under time constraints to meet deadlines.
Able to translate theory into practical applications.
Reports to: QA Manager Logistics
Direct reports: Yes
Indirect reports: N/A
Wells Enterprises is an EEO/AA employer M/F/Vet/Dis
Wells Enterprises, a Ferrero company, is one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the United States and the maker of well-loved brands including Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics and today Trolli, Butterfinger 100grand, Baby Ruth, Nutella and Kinder Bueno.
Wells Enterprises is a $2 billion company employing 4,000 employees, across four production plants and two main hub locations, Chicago and Le Mars. Guided by innovation, quality, and a people-first mindset, Wells is committed to delighting consumers and developing exceptional teams.
As part of the Ferrero Group, Wells combines its strong U.S. heritage with Ferrero’s global standards of excellence, offering a unique opportunity to grow within a dynamic, values-driven, and international environment.
At Wells, our people—and their experience—sit at the heart of our ambition. Learn more at www.wellsenterprisesinc.com.
What We Offer
At Wells, we’re proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual incentive bonus based on Company performance. Learn more about our benefits here.