Director of Quality Assurance

Job summary

The Director of Quality Assurance leads the strategic direction of QA and food quality across all manufacturing operations to ensure regulatory compliance. This includes managing QA systems, resolving quality incidents, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction.

Job details

Role Overview The Director, Quality Assurance, will support the strategic direction of QA and Food Quality across all manufacturing operations. Reporting to the Vice President of QA, this role ensures compliance with regulatory standards, drives continuous improvement, and fosters a culture of quality excellence across the organization. Key Responsibilities Ensure a quality-driven culture throughout the organization, ensuring total quality from raw materials to customer delivery. Monitor production processes to ensure adherence to CFIA, Health Canada, FSMA, HACCP, SQF/BRC/FSSC 22000, FDA, GMP, and other requirements. Maintain robust QA systems, including internal and third-party audits, corrective/preventive actions, traceability, and crisis management. Investigate and resolve quality incidents, customer complaints, and non-conformances. Partner with R&D, Production, Procurement, Engineering, and Sales teams to integrate quality requirements into new product development and existing operations. Manage and mentor QA Managers and Supervisors across multiple sites. Develop training programs for QA staff and production teams on food safety and quality standards. Build succession plans and maintain high-performing teams. Analyze quality metrics and trends to identify improvement opportunities. Drive initiatives to improve customer satisfaction and reduce quality-related costs. Analyze quality KPIs, lead investigations into quality events, and implement continuous improvement initiatives like Six Sigma, Lean tools, or other methodologies. Support innovation by ensuring complete quality risk analysis and validation throughout development processes. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Food Engineering, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred. Minimum 15 years in food manufacturing QA and Food safety, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role in a bakery manufacturing. Hands-on leadership experience implementing HACCP, BRC/FSSC 22000, FSMA, and regulatory programs. Deep knowledge of Canadian and U.S. food safety regulations, including CFIA, FDA, USDA, and customer requirements. Proven ability to lead cross-functional, multi-site teams and influence at executive levels. Strong communicator, comfortable presenting to senior leadership, customers, and regulators. Strategic thinker, integrity-driven, with a proactive mindset toward risk management and operational rigor. HACCP/BRC/FSSC 22000, PCQI certifications required. Other relevant food safety certification is valued. We affirm that this job posting is for a current vacancy and our hiring process, including candidate screening, evaluation, and selection, does not involve the use of Artificial Intelligence or automated decision-making tools. Salary: Starting from $120,000 per year (depends on qualification and experience) At Upper Crust, we are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and accessible environment where all employees are valued and supported. We are dedicated to fostering a workforce reflecting the diversity of our community and will consider all qualified applicants for employment. Upper Crust is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities or special needs requiring accommodation. If you require accommodation, please notify our Human Resources Team at 416-746-1010 ext. 1480 or via email. We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Upper Crust, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

What you’ll do

The Director of Quality Assurance leads the strategic direction of QA and food quality across all manufacturing operations to ensure regulatory compliance. This includes managing QA systems, resolving quality incidents, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction.

Requirements

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in food science or a related field and at least 15 years of experience in food manufacturing QA, including 5 years in senior leadership within a bakery. Required certifications include HACCP, BRC/FSSC 22000, and PCQI.

Listed skills

• Quality assurance · Preferred
• Regulatory Compliance · Preferred
• Food safety · Preferred
• Risk Management · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Quality Assurance
• Food Safety
• Regulatory Compliance
• HACCP
• SQF
• BRC
• FSSC 22000
• FSMA
• GMP
• Six Sigma
• Lean Tools
• Risk Management
• Audit Management
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Strategic Planning
• KPI Analysis

Job areas

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