Quality Assurance Manager (Mat Leave Contract)

About the Company

Export Packers Company Limited is a multi-faceted, growth-oriented international food company. Since 1937, this privately owned family company based in Ontario, Canada, has built itself into a global food expert, providing exceptional service and innovative solutions to its industry partners. The company’s success is driven by its dedicated employees' professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit. Our Head office is located in Brampton, Ontario.

Role Summary

The QA Manager is responsible for leading and maintaining the company's food safety and quality management systems throughout a maternity leave coverage contract. This role ensures ongoing compliance with BRCGS certification requirements, applicable regulatory standards, and customer expectations while overseeing HACCP and preventive control programs, audits, supplier quality, product inspections and release, laboratory testing, sanitation verification, and corrective and preventive actions. The QA Manager also leads the QA team and collaborates with Production, Operations, Sanitation, Procurement, and other departments to maintain high standards of food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance throughout the contract period.

Responsibilities

- Lead and maintain the BRCGS Food Safety and BRCGS Gluten-Free management systems, ensuring ongoing certification compliance, effective implementation, and continuous improvement.

- Maintain the HACCP and Food Safety Plan, including prerequisite programs, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), sanitation, allergen management, traceability, recall, food defense, and food fraud prevention programs.

- Ensure compliance with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requirements, customer standards, and applicable Canadian and export-market regulations.

- Coordinate and lead BRCGS certification, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits. Oversee audit preparation, responses, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and timely closure of findings.

- Oversee raw material, in-process, and finished product inspections, product specifications, quality standards, verification activities, and product release to ensure products meet established requirements.

- Maintain an understanding of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) sustainability standards and provide support during related audits.

- Manage supplier approval, monitoring, performance evaluation, and corrective actions for seafood, ingredients, packaging, and services. Ensure supplier documentation, specifications, inspections, Certificates of Analysis (COAs), and audit records are maintained and reviewed as required.

- Oversee sanitation verification and environmental monitoring programs, including ATP and microbiological testing. Investigate positive results, determine root causes, and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented and verified.

- Manage microbiological, chemical, environmental, water, raw material, and finished product testing programs. Review laboratory results, investigate out-of-specification findings, and assess trends to identify potential food safety and quality risks.

- Maintain allergen and gluten-free control programs, including ingredient verification, segregation, production changeovers, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and product and label controls.

- Lead customer and consumer complaint investigations, including retention sample reviews, production record reviews, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and complaint trend analysis.

- Manage internal, supplier, customer, audit, and regulatory non-conformances. Ensure corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are appropriate, implemented, documented, and verified for effectiveness.

- Develop and maintain the internal audit and verification program covering BRCGS, HACCP, GMPs, sanitation, traceability, allergen controls, suppliers, environmental monitoring, and operational processes.

- Maintain and verify traceability, mock recall, product withdrawal and recall, food defense, site security, vulnerability assessment, and food fraud prevention programs.

- Lead, train, and develop the QA team, ensuring employees have the knowledge, skills, and competency required to perform their responsibilities effectively.

- Collaborate with Production, Operations, Sanitation, Procurement, and other departments to resolve quality issues, strengthen food safety practices, and promote accountability for food safety and product quality throughout the organization.

- Maintain accurate and organized food safety and quality documentation, records, audit evidence, and verification results.

- Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/Skills

- Post-secondary education in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline is preferred.

- Relevant experience in Quality Assurance and food safety within food manufacturing, processing, or a similar regulated food environment.

- Strong knowledge of BRCGS food safety requirements and food safety management systems.

- Experience maintaining HACCP plans, preventive controls, GMPs, sanitation, allergen management, traceability, recall, and supplier approval programs.

- Working knowledge of Canadian food safety regulations, including SFCR, the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, and applicable CFIA requirements.

- Experience coordinating and leading certification, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits, including corrective action management and root-cause analysis.

- Knowledge of laboratory testing, environmental monitoring, sanitation verification, product specifications, and quality control processes.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate issues, identify root causes, assess risk, and implement effective corrective actions.

- Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to coach, train, and develop team members and collaborate effectively across departments.

- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain accurate documentation.

- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate food safety and quality requirements to employees at different levels of the organization.

- This position is based in a professional office setting, with work primarily performed at a desk using a computer, phone, and other standard office equipment.

Benefits

- Competitive vacation and Personal day policy

- Employee Discounts on consumables

- Employee Assistance Program

- Company Paid Benefits

- RRSP Match Program

The annual base salary for this role is expected to fall between $85,000 and $110,000.

This is an existing vacancy.

Export Packers is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting diversity of thought, ideas, perspective and people. We create an inclusive environment that attracts, retains and values people of all backgrounds by treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence through inclusion, integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of those who interact with Export Packers in accordance with Federal and provincial laws.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, Export Packers has an Accommodation Policy as part of our hiring process. Should you require accommodation, please advise the People & Culture Department.

Please note: A criminal background check is required for all candidates and will be conducted in the final stages of the hiring process. This will be facilitated by our team, with full details provided during the selection process.

Please note that we use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants for the position.