Quality Assurance Lead Full-time/onsite/Mississauga

About Farm Girl Farm Girl is a proudly Canadian food and beverage company focused on better-for-you products and scaled retail distribution. The company is looking for a hands-on Quality Assurance Lead to strengthen plant quality systems, product consistency, and operational discipline as the business continues to grow.

Role Summary The Quality Assurance Lead will own the QA function end-to-end, driving product consistency, daily quality discipline on the production floor, and strong operational partnership across the plant. This is a hands-on manufacturing role requiring visibility, decisiveness, and the ability to act quickly when quality standards are at risk. While audit readiness is important, the primary focus is building strong systems, processes, and accountability that improve day-to-day operations.

Key Responsibilities Lead the QA team across shifts, setting clear expectations and accountability Own product consistency by SKU, including defining and enforcing Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) Translate audit standards into practical daily operating procedures Build and improve QA systems that proactively prevent issues Partner closely with Operations, Maintenance, and Production teams to resolve root causes Make real-time quality decisions, including stop-the-line actions when required Escalate risks early with clear recommendations and supporting data Lead corrective action processes and ensure long-term resolution Prepare for and lead third-party audits, customer audits, and inspections

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days Clear CQAs implemented for priority SKUs Consistent QA measurement standards across all shifts Reduction in downstream quality surprises and customer-facing issues Strong working relationship established with Plant Manager and Operations leadership Improved day-to-day process control while maintaining strong audit performance

Qualifications & Experience Required Proven experience leading QA teams within a manufacturing environment Strong communication and leadership skills Comfortable working directly on the plant floor in a fast-paced environment Track record of building or improving QA systems and processes Ability to make decisions quickly and take ownership of outcomes

Preferred Experience in food manufacturing, extrusion, or high-throughput production environments SQF, BRC, or equivalent audit experience Experience supporting manufacturing scale-up from small to mid-size operations Strong analytical and data-driven mindset

Recommended Experience 7–12 years of experience in food manufacturing QA 3–5 years of leadership experience in a plant environment

This Role Is Not A purely audit or documentation-focused role A junior QA technician position A hands-off corporate QA function

Benefits Dental Care Extended Health Care Paid Time Off