Manager, Quality Assurance chez The J. M. Smucker Company

Your Opportunity as the Quality Assurance Manager

At Smucker, manufacturing is at the heart of our mission to deliver food people love. This role is critical to ensuring our Frozen Handheld & Spreads plants consistently meet our high standards for food safety and quality, as well as regulatory and customer requirements.

You will lead quality assurance efforts across three sandwich manufacturing facilities and R&D pilot plant, balancing strategic oversight with hands-on project execution. Success in this role requires adaptability, attention to detail, and the ability to lead through influence.

Location: Orrville, OH – Corporate Office

Work Arrangements:

• Hybrid – onsite a minimum of 9 days a month, primarily during core weeks as determined by the Company; maybe more as business need requires
• Flexibility: Ability to work outside core hours and travel to support plant operations.
• Travel – up to 35% annually

In this role, you will:

• Provide leadership through being the primary liaison between Corporate QA and Uncrustables manufacturing facilities
  • Assure the manufacturing facilities are in compliance with JMS Quality and Food safety policies and procedures; all Federal, State and local regulatory requirements including Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and any other applicable certifications.
  • Drive and support each facility’s Operational Excellence (OpsEx) journey with quality loss elimination tasks by supporting the use of Quality Pillar tools and the integration within other OpsEx Pillars.

• Responsible for the development and mentorship of the plant JMS QA managers and their teams.
• Conduct/Lead 19 Key Element operational QA audits with JMS CQA team and follow up with plant teams on identified gaps and corrective/preventative actions (CAPA).
• Lead/participate as CQA representative in improvement projects with Uncrustables plant teams and our cross functional partners (R&D, TSO, Engineering, etc.)
• Drive continual quality improvement as measured by Quality key performance indicators including internal and external audits, and company quality metrics
• Provide technical support to the manufacturing plants as it relates to, but not limited to, quality and food safety requirements.
• Assist in the management of plant quality non-conformances and escalations with the goal of investigating root cause and implementing corrective/preventative actions to prevent incident reoccurrence.
• Collaborate with Plant Managers, Ops VP/Directors to build predictive quality into the manufacturing process.

• Participate on the corporate crisis team, as needed.

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• A bachelor's degree
• 5 years of progressive quality and food safety experience
• 2 years of experience in manufacturing setting
• Demonstrated high level of organizational skills and ability
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance, food manufacturing, packaging, processing and distribution; USDA HACCP, FDA FSMA, GFSI (BRCGS)

• Proven ability to develop written tools, Policies, SOPs.

• Demonstrated ability with continuous improvement
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional & team-oriented environment with multiple disciplines while providing leadership through influence rather than authority

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology or related scientific degree
• Previous experience in low-moisture ready-to-eat (RTE) foods (strongly preferred)
• Previous experience in bread manufacturing with focus in bread quality
• Strong quantitative and qualitative assessment skills, critical thinking skills and the ability to constructively challenge ideas and assumptions
• Proven capabilities in project management with ability to lead multiple and concurrent projects
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (human food) or HACCP experience
• Takes initiative, manages time effectively, and is motivated to achieve goals without constant oversight. You’re proactive in identifying opportunities and solving problems independently.
• Thrives in a dynamic environment and is comfortable navigating change. Whether it's shifting priorities or new technologies, you remain flexible and focused.

Learn more about working at Smucker:

• Our Total Rewards Benefits Program
• Our Thriving Together Philosophy Supporting All Impacted by Our Business 
• Our Continued Progress on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity