Plant QFS Director (Quality & Food Safety Plant Leader)

Job summary

Leads the Quality and Food Safety agenda for the Boucherville plant, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and Danone global requirements. Drives quality performance and continuous improvement through the IWS Quality Pillar and a Total Cost of Quality approach.

Job details

About The Job Reporting to the Vice President, Quality & Food Safety, the Plant Quality Director leads the Quality and Food Safety agenda for the Boucherville plant. The role ensures compliance with Danone standards, regulatory requirements, and customer and consumer expectations, while serving as a strategic partner to the Plant Leadership Team. The incumbent also drives quality performance, productivity, and continuous improvement through a Total Cost of Quality approach, and acts as the site Quality Pillar leader within IWS. Key Accountabilities Define and deploy the plant Quality & Food Safety strategy, aligned with Danone Global, Americas, and plant business priorities. Act as the plant QFS authority, escalation point, and crisis-management lead for major quality or food safety incidents. Ensure end-to-end compliance with regulatory requirements, Danone standards, certifications, specifications, product release rules, sanitation, metrology, and preventive maintenance programs. Lead the IWS Quality Pillar, including PDCA, daily management, run-to-target routines, built-in quality, risk assessment, and continuous improvement. Optimize the quality control plan from incoming materials to finished goods, including supplier quality, laboratory services, audits, non-conformities, RCA/CAPA, and process capability. Build a strong quality culture across the plant, supported by iCare, coaching, training, visual management, and 100% employee ownership. Manage the QFS budget, resources, CAPEX/OPEX, and productivity initiatives without compromising quality or food safety integrity. Lead, mobilize, and develop the plant QFS team, while building capability, engagement, mobility, and succession. Represent Boucherville in Americas and Global QFS networks and engage internal and external stakeholders on key quality initiatives. Key performance indicators Audit performance, certification compliance, consumer complaints, specification conformance, and right-first-time results. On-time closure of non-conformities, RCA/CAPA effectiveness, and reduction of cost of non-quality. Quality culture, team engagement, IWS standards, and QFS team development and succession. Compensation, Benefits & Hiring Transparency The annual base salary range for this position is $128,000 to $160,000 CAD. The final salary offered will be determined by factors such as relevant experience and qualifications, internal equity and external market conditions. Danone Canada also offers a competitive short-term incentive bonus and a comprehensive benefits package, including group insurance, group retirement plans, wellbeing account, flexible time off, true hybrid work environment, paid parental leave, and other attractive options. As part of our commitment to transparency in our hiring practices, we may use AI-enabled tools at certain stages of the recruitment process. However, all final hiring decisions are made by people. This posting is for an existing vacancy. About You Bachelor’s or master’s degree in food science, food processing, or a related scientific field. Minimum 10 years of progressive QFS or operations experience in manufacturing; dairy experience preferred. Proven director-level leadership experience, including management of a diverse team. Strong knowledge of QFS systems and standards, including ISO, FSSC 22000, HACCP, PRPs, GMP, risk management, and statistical process control. Strong communication, influencing, project management, auditing, change management, and data-analysis skills. Demonstrated problem-solving, root-cause analysis, decision-making under pressure, and results orientation. Digital fluency with tools such as Power BI, LIMS, SAP, and Veeva. Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing environment and travel approximately 5%–10%. Bilingualism required fluency in French and English. About us Danone Canada is part of Danone, the largest certified B Corp™ in the world, proudly using our business as a force for good – creating value for people, communities, and the planet. Guided by our long-standing mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, we embed this purpose into every aspect of our operations. Our workforce spans the country, with two headquarters (Boucherville, QC, and Toronto, ON), a production facility in Boucherville, and various remote work sites across the provinces. When you join us, you’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world, including Oikos, Activia, Two Good, evian, Silk, International Delight, So Delicious Dairy Free and STōK Cold Brew Coffee. We offer a competitive and comprehensive total rewards package, including group insurance plans, retirement programs, well-being resources, parental leave, and development opportunities. Plus, a true hybrid work environment and flexible time off, empowering you to balance your personal and professional life. At Danone, inclusion and diversity are at the heart of who we are. We celebrate unique perspectives and are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We encourage applications from everyone and offer accommodations upon request to ensure equitable access for all candidates. Join us and help shape a healthier, more sustainable world. One Planet. One Health. BY YOU.

What you’ll do

Leads the Quality and Food Safety agenda for the Boucherville plant, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and Danone global requirements. Drives quality performance and continuous improvement through the IWS Quality Pillar and a Total Cost of Quality approach.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's or Master's degree in food science or a related field and at least 10 years of progressive QFS or operations experience in manufacturing. Must be bilingual in French and English with proven director-level leadership experience.

Benefits

• Group Insurance • Group Retirement Plans • Wellbeing Account • Flexible Time Off • Paid Parental Leave • Short-term Incentive Bonus

Listed skills

• Data analysis · Preferred
• Food safety · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Quality Management
• Food Safety
• IWS Quality Pillar
• Regulatory Compliance
• Root Cause Analysis
• CAPA
• Risk Management
• Statistical Process Control
• Project Management
• Change Management
• Data Analysis
• Budget Management
• Team Leadership
• Auditing
• French Fluency
• English Fluency

Job areas

• Food & Beverage
• Manufacturing
• Management & Leadership
• Science & Research
• Security & Safety