Quality & Food Safety Lead - Food Industry
Location: Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC
On-site, 5 days per week (no remote work available)
Company Description
iSpice Foods is a global supplier of premium herbs and spices, serving the food service, industrial, and wholesale markets. With processing and distribution operations worldwide, the company is committed to delivering high-quality, fully traceable spices, seasonings, and dry blends. iSpice Foods takes pride in optimizing production and procurement processes to ensure exceptional value for its customers.
Position Summary
The Quality & Food Safety Lead is responsible for managing all Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, and Certification Programs for the facility. This role ensures that all spice blending and packaging operations comply with company standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory and certification requirements, including BRCGS, HACCP, Kosher, Organic, and SFCR/CFIA requirements. The position serves as the primary contact for quality and food safety matters and reports directly to the QA Director.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee daily quality and food safety activities, including production line inspections, GMP verification, product inspections, sampling, testing programs, product release, and management of non-conforming materials.
- Maintain and continuously improve the facility's Quality Management System and Food Safety Program, including HACCP, allergen management, traceability, recall, sanitation, food defense, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programs.
- Manage compliance with BRCGS, Kosher, Organic, SFCR/CFIA, and customer requirements, including document control, audit preparation, certification maintenance, regulatory inspections, implementation of corrective actions, and ongoing compliance activities.
- Serve as the primary contact for customer and supplier quality matters, including technical questionnaires, specification reviews, supplier approval activities, customer complaints, investigations, and root cause analysis.
- Coordinate internal and external laboratory testing programs and evaluate results to ensure compliance with product specifications, food safety requirements, and customer expectations.
- Develop, maintain, and update quality and food safety procedures, specifications, records, and training programs while promoting a culture of quality, food safety, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
- Support new product introductions, label and specification reviews, risk assessments, supplier qualification activities, and other quality or regulatory initiatives as required.
- Provide regular reporting on quality, food safety, customer complaints, audit performance, and key performance indicators to management.
- Exercise authority to place products or materials on hold, stop production when necessary, and approve product release in accordance with company quality and food safety requirements.
- Perform other duties related to quality assurance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement as assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in food manufacturing quality and food safety.
- Strong knowledge of BRCGS, HACCP, GMPs, SFCR/CFIA requirements, Kosher, and Organic certification programs.
- Experience managing audits, customer complaints, investigations, supplier quality programs, and corrective action systems.
- BRCGS Internal Auditor certification and/or HACCP certification preferred.
- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, quality management systems, and ERP systems (SAP preferred).
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Have you participated in or led external audits (BRCGS, CFIA, customer audits, certification audits)?
- Do you have experience investigating customer complaints, non-conformances, and implementing corrective actions (CAPA)?
- Do you currently hold any of the following certifications?
HACCP Certification
BRCGS Internal Auditor
PCQI
- What is your salary expectation?
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (required)
Experience:
- Quality assurance: 3 years (required)
- Food safety: 3 years (required)
- Food industry: 3 years (required)
Location:
- Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC (preferred)
Work Location: In person
