FSQA Team Lead

Independence Premium Foods

Independence, IA

Pay: $65,000-$85,000/yr

Shift: Full time

**About the Role:**

The FSQA Team Lead is responsible for leading and supporting the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) function within the production facility. This position ensures compliance with all food safety, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements while providing direct leadership and support to FSQA Technicians. The FSQA Team Lead works closely with Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Warehouse, Supply Chain, and Plant Leadership to maintain the highest standards of food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance.

This role plays a critical part in strengthening the facility's food safety culture through employee training, audit readiness, continuous improvement initiatives, proactive problem solving, and implementation of best-in-class food safety and quality practices. The FSQA Team Lead serves as a key resource for maintaining compliance with HACCP, GMP, FSMA, FDA, USDA, and customer requirements while supporting operational excellence throughout the facility.

**Responsibilities:**

The FSQA Team Lead is responsible for leading daily food safety and quality activities while ensuring the effective implementation, verification, and continuous improvement of food safety and quality programs throughout the facility.

**Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance**

· **Ensure compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements:** Maintain compliance with HACCP, GMP, FSMA, FDA, USDA, customer requirements, and company food safety policies.

· **Lead food safety program maintenance:** Support implementation, verification, validation, and ongoing maintenance of HACCP and Preventive Controls programs.

· **Coordinate audits and inspections:** Participate in customer audits, third-party certification audits, and regulatory inspections while ensuring audit readiness.

· **Manage corrective and preventive actions (CAPA):** Investigate food safety and quality incidents, determine root causes, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

· **Monitor prerequisite programs:** Verify compliance with sanitation, allergen control, environmental monitoring, GMP, and food defense programs.

· **Maintain documentation and records:** Ensure food safety plans, quality systems, specifications, monitoring records, and regulatory documentation remain accurate and current.

**Team Leadership & Employee Development**

· **Lead and develop FSQA Technicians:** Provide coaching, mentoring, and daily leadership to ensure consistent execution of food safety and quality programs.

· **Direct quality verification activities:** Support technicians performing inspections, sampling, environmental monitoring, and product testing activities.

· **Promote accountability and performance:** Ensure team members follow established procedures, documentation requirements, and testing protocols.

· **Identify training opportunities:** Conduct performance coaching and support employee development plans.

· **Foster a positive food safety culture:** Encourage teamwork, accountability, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.

**Quality Assurance & Product Testing**

· **Oversee quality and food safety inspections:** Ensure routine product testing, environmental monitoring, and quality inspections are completed accurately.

· **Verify product specifications:** Confirm raw materials, work-in-process products, and finished goods meet customer and company requirements.

· **Review and maintain quality records:** Monitor testing results, inspection records, laboratory documentation, and quality reports.

· **Investigate quality issues:** Collaborate with production and support departments to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.

· **Analyze quality performance:** Monitor trends and recommend process improvements based on data and performance metrics.

**Training & Food Safety Culture**

· **Deliver food safety training:** Conduct training related to GMPs, HACCP, allergen awareness, sanitation, food safety, and quality systems.

· **Support onboarding and employee development:** Ensure new employees understand food safety expectations and quality standards.

· **Promote company-wide food safety ownership:** Reinforce the message that food safety and quality are shared responsibilities across the organization.

· **Maintain training systems:** Develop training materials, SOPs, work instructions, and employee training records.

**Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement**

· **Partner with operational teams:** Work closely with Production, Maintenance, Warehouse, Sanitation, Supply Chain, and Leadership to resolve food safety and quality issues.

· **Support continuous improvement initiatives:** Participate in projects focused on improving product quality, compliance, efficiency, and operational performance.

· **Assist with product and process changes:** Support product launches, validations, process improvements, and customer initiatives.

· **Communicate performance metrics:**