Job Description

Quality Control/Quality Assurance Manager

Develops and maintains a quality control infrastructure to ensure compliance with all aspects of food safety and regulatory compliance, as well as to ensure that all products meet and exceed customer expectations.

Scope includes all aspects of food safety and compliance (especially FDA and USDA food CFR’s, registration and management), quality control, quality assurance, Organic certification and compliance, production audits, liaison to external lab, oversight of accurate labelling, etc.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Develop, implement and maintain quality policies, programs and procedures for current GMP’s, HACCP and Global Quality Systems
    • - Responsible for the overall QA/QC system at the manufacturing facility
    - Maintain and update SOP’s, SSOP’s, HACCP and GMP’s
    - Provide training of new production staff on HACCP and GMP’s - Maintain document control for QA/QC
    - Review and update standard operating procedures, HACCP and GMP’s for all production processes
    - Ensure quality standards are maintained throughout the manufacturing process, product integrity is preserved and high quality products are delivered to the customer
    - Oversee tasting panel (sensory) and ensure products are being tested for appropriate flavor characteristics
    - Conduct internal QA/QC audits and address non-conformities to ensure proper application of internal procedures and current regulatory policies
    - Assist production in the investigation and resolution of quality incidents (identified internally or via a customer)
    - Implement corrective action, document and follow up to ensure corrective action is effective
    - Report to management on QA/QC issues
    - Troubleshoot issues as they arise in the production area
    - Ensure correct execution of recipes and procedures to guarantee best quality product
    - Ensure compliance to proper sanitation practices of production equipment and facility, including allergen clean-up procedures
    - Maintain pest control program
    - Establish new vendor guidelines
    - Maintains sanitation operations and records
    - Maintains records and responsible for calibration of scales, temperature control charts

  • Responsible for all administrative aspects of FDA, USDA, and Organic Registration and Certification
    • - Maintain records to comply with regulatory requirements
    - Work with various regulatory agencies to maintain proper compliance with governing rules and regulations
    - Perform review of product labelling to ensure accuracy to recipes and compliance with regulatory requirements
    - Set standards and templates for company “Creative Department” to follow for product labelling
    - Responsible to act as primary liaison for regulatory and customer

  • Act as liaison to external Laboratory to coordinate product testing
    • - Responsible for ensuring appropriate lab testing is performed as required
    - Responsible for developing shelf-life testing program
    - Responsible for implementing Corrective Actions for any deviation of set Microbiology or Chemistry specifications

  • Provide technical support and advice to Production and NPD during culinary R&D process - Provide overall risk management perspective to both NPD process and on-going manufacturing
    - Manage internal and external specifications in collaboration with plant management, purchasing and R&D

  • Ensure traceability of products and ability for immediate recall if ever the need would exist - Responsible for overseeing implementation of lot code traceability project
    - Responsible for project management of any required recalls (finished goods, raw and packaging materials)

  • Monitor vendor performance, perform inspection of inbound raw materials, and establish criteria for rating critical vendors
  • Evaluate new equipment and procedures; establish critical control points and calibration systems
  • Manage the daily, weekly, and monthly sanitation of the facility
  • Investigates all injuries, incidents and accidents as they relate to safety with the objective of taking action to eliminate future occurrences
  • Review recipe management system (Nutracoster) to ensure that recipes are maintained accurately and updated with any recipe changes

    • Experience, Know-How & Skills:
    • Undergraduate Degree in Food Science
    • Culinary/chocolate background a plus, needs to embrace gastronomic / foodie culture
    • 3+ years’ experience in QA systems and management with experience in small to medium manufacturing environment in the food industry
    • Expertise in product labeling standards (FDA, USDA)
    • Experience with USDA, organic certification preferred
    • Diverse knowledge of inspection techniques
    • Comfortable working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
    • Successful candidate is pragmatic and assertive

      • Key Relationships:
      • Reports to Chief Financial Officer & General Manager

        • Vosges Haut-Chocolat:
        Travel the World Through Chocolate
        Founded 1998

        Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s intriguing chocolate creations are made with the finest ingredients from around the world, sourced by owner and chocolatier Katrina Markoff. Vosges Haut-Chocolat and the concept of Travel the World through Chocolate were inspired by her journeys to create a luxury chocolate experience while bringing about awareness of the world’s cultures by fusing a gamut of indigenous spices, flowers, roots, herbs and liqueurs with premium chocolate.

        The founding of Vosges Haut-Chocolat launched a global chocolate revolution. Nominated by Food & Wine Magazine as the chocolatier leading us into the next 30 years, Katrina is credited with igniting the chocolate industry with innovation—fusing high quality chocolate and exotic ingredients (such as bacon and spices) in avant-garde ways.

        Vosges Haut-Chocolat currently has eight Purple House boutiques in Chicago, New York, Beverly Hills, and Las Vegas. The company also operates online at www.vosgeschocolate.com. Vosges Haut-Chocolat is a certified organic manufacturer and operates on 100% Renewable Energy.

        Vosges Haut-Chocolat offers a challenging, professional team-work environment within a business casual, manufacturing environment. We offer excellent career growth opportunities, competitive salary package, profit sharing, 401(k), medical and life insurance, as well as paid time-off.

        Vosges Haut-Chocolat is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

        Please submit resume and cover letter to: jobs@vosgeschocolate.com