Our client is a growing food manufacturing company focused on delivering high-quality products while maintaining the highest standards in food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

Title: Director of Quality Systems / Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA)
Location: Cook County, IL
Schedule: Onsite, Monday–Friday (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
Compensation: $150K base + 20% annual bonus

Overview
We are seeking a hands-on Director of Quality Systems / FSQA to oversee food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance at our manufacturing site in Cooke County, IL. This role will lead the site’s Quality Management System (QMS), ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, and GFSI standards (SQF/BRC), and drive a strong food safety culture across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory programs for the manufacturing facility.
• Ensure compliance with FSMA, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs, allergen controls, traceability, and recall readiness.
• Maintain GFSI certifications including SQF and/or BRC and manage regulatory and customer audits.
• Oversee quality systems, SOPs, environmental monitoring, sanitation verification, and CAPA programs.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Engineering to integrate quality throughout production.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and root cause investigations.
• Lead and develop the FSQA team, fostering a strong food safety culture on the production floor.

• Bachelor’s degree required (Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field).
• 5–8+ years of progressive FSQA leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, and GFSI standards (SQF or BRC).
• HACCP certification required; SQF Practitioner, BRC Lead, or PCQI strongly preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish is a plus.