Director, Quality Assurance and Food Safety

Pittsburgh, PA / Hybrid

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Chicken of the Sea is an iconic American brand that was founded in 1930. Today, Chicken of the Sea enjoys broad distribution across all major retail channels, with growth opportunities in foodservice and outside the U.S. Besides its eponymous brand, Chicken of the Sea also sells Genova and King Oscar premium seafood products.

Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) has been wholly owned since 2000 by Thai Union (TU), the largest global producer of ambient seafood. Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods is a sister U.S. company that focuses on frozen and chilled seafood sales. Other iconic seafood brands in the TU Global portfolio include John West, Mareblu, and King Oscar. Under the leadership of CEO Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union has more than tripled its revenue to over $4 billion annually and has an aggressive growth agenda.

Chicken of the Sea International operates under the common corporate vision, mission and values of Thai Union, an industry leader in sustainable fishing practices and manufacturing processes that capture the freshness, nutritional value, and sensorial experience of seafood. The global organization lives by the 6 deeply held values: Passionate, Humble, Respectful, Responsible, Collaborative, and Innovative.

COSI is an organization that is very proud of its heritage. First established as VanCamp seafood company more than 100 years ago (1914), the company celebrates its story as one of the oldest food companies in the country that is still in operation. The company is currently undergoing a significant business transformation aimed at accelerating business growth.

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

Join the Chicken of the Sea brand as our Director, Quality Assurance and Food Safety. In this pivotal role, you will spearhead the development, refinement, and execution of protocols aimed at ensuring that all COSI processes and products align with our company’s stringent safety and quality benchmarks, as well as relevant regulatory mandates. Your responsibilities will include leading a team in vetting and granting pre-approval to co-packer facilities for COSI production, overseeing adherence to established standards and specifications across Company operations, co-packer facilities, and warehouses, and devising and implementing corrective measures when necessary. Additionally, you will play a crucial role in partnering with our Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition. This individual ensures compliance with nutritional and packaging label regulations, and also manages consumer correspondence pertaining to COSI products to ensure timely and effective resolution of inquiries and concerns.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assess needs, draft/review procedures for COSI and regulatory standards, obtain management approval; ensure current standards and specifications are in place.
• Review and summarize Quality Control, Production, and Quality Assurance data; place non-conforming products on hold and develop recommended dispositions; provide updates through Monthly QC/Prod Reports, Consolidated Audit Reports, Plant audit reports and Monthly QA Hold Reports.
• Consult with Resourcing, arrange pre-contract inspections, evaluate inspection results, and confirm QA approval; develop precontract inspection reports summarizing findings and confirming QA approval.
• Partner with Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition who manages the Consumer Affairs staff, to review new or revised letters, and track and recommend action on consumer claims as necessary.
• Monitor held product inventories, assist in developing dispositions, and submit for management approval per established procedures.
• Review incoming product inspection reports, audit warehouses, and audit product lots for compliance.
• Develop and update procedures for product tracing; audit product tracing program and ensure compliance with FDA regulations.
• Prepare hiring, termination, or other personnel recommendations; identify and communicate objectives/expectations to staff, provide training; monitor performance, provide feedback, and develop action plans for improvement.
• Liaison with the food industry’s Process Authority on food safety issues; liaison with FDA regulatory personnel and foreign suppliers on thermal process issues.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in food science or related field or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in food-related regulatory requirements and statistical quality control.
• Previous supervisory experience.
• Strong written (including technical writing) and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders, including corporate and plant management, co-packers, regulatory agencies, and trade association staff.
• Prior management experience in quality assurance or a related field.
• Familiarity with commonly used computer software.
• Previous experience with protein, retorted products, and low acid food is preferred.

The employee is required to comply with all company policies, rules and directives, including safe work practices.

VALUES

• Collaborative – works well with diverse workforce; communicates professionally with associates and leaders
• Responsible – punctual, proactively communicates status of issues and projects
• Humble – eager to learn new skills, asks for assistance when needed
• Passionate – has a support-mindset; committed to be the best
• Respectful – exhibits behaviors of caring, compassion, honesty, integrity, and fairness
• Innovative — constantly looks for ways to be more efficient and productive; Committed to continuous improvement

A career at Thai Union is a unique experience to grow as a professional and as a person. You will join a global fast-growing, innovative, and entrepreneurial organization deeply committed to its people, its community, and the environment.

Every single one of our employees matter. We are always listening and giving our talent opportunities to grow, develop, and implement new ideas to make a difference. Our focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability in a creative and dynamic environment, combined with great opportunities to lead progress, is a guarantee you will quickly develop your professional skills within a diverse & inclusive human-centered organization.

Thai Union is committed to providing equality of opportunity. If you require any reasonable adjustments to help support your application, please let us know.