Sr. Manager of Quality & Product Development

Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is actively interviewing for a Sr. Manager of Quality and Product Development to join our team in our Novi, MI Headquarters.

The Sr. Manager of Quality and Product Development will be responsible for supporting the Quality Assurance, and Product Development for MMPA.

They will act as the backup for the Director of Quality, supporting, implementing, and maintaining food safety, quality, and product development activities.

This position will support all MMPA facilities and will work in close collaboration with the operations team.

Who are we?

The Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) established in 1916 is a dairy farmer-owned and operated milk marketing cooperative and dairy processor.

As the 10th largest dairy cooperative in the U.S., MMPA serves dairy farmers throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana.

MMPA and its subsidiaries (Middlebury Cheese Company and Superior Dairy) operate dairy plants in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

We offer a range of nutritious food options, including fluid milk, cheese, ultra-filtered milk, ice cream, butter, nonfat dry milk, cream, and condensed skim milk, promoting health and well-being.

We offer :

• Competitive salary
• health and wellness benefits with medical coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield, including mental health benefits
• Disability insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement including 401k with employer contributions
• Personal and professional growth opportunities
• Employee appreciation events and recognition awards
• Employee wellness initiatives
• Employees feedback and suggestion forums

Job Responsibilities :

• Guide Quality teams at the plants and act as the backup for the Director of Quality Assurance
• Support Quality Assurance and Product Development activities with our facilities and with current / prospective customers
• Be a technical / regulatory subject matter expert for all MMPA facilities
• Support Sales / Marketing by providing technical support with new business development
• Manage R&D timelines with cross functional teams in Stage Gate reviews
• Support customers by answering product / ingredient related questions
• Data analysis and trending to improve quality
• Conduct internal audits for SQF and regulatory compliance
• Continuously research, identify and evaluate best practices, tools, and methodologies to implement at MMPA facilities
• Work on customer complaint resolution (root cause analysis and development of corrective and preventive actions)
• Ability to work with cross functional teams (Operations, Maintenance, Sales, Supply Chain etc.)
• Development and maintenance of all food safety regulatory programs to meet FDA / USDA / State regulatory requirements
• Oversee employee training for Food safety and GMPs
• Responsible for disposition of all held product, with input from the Plant Manager and Director Quality (as needed)
• Oversee product quality with regards to meeting the specifications, and identification of defects
• Track, report, and review the Quality Performance Indicators on a regular basis to drive continuous improvement
• Conduct Effective Root Cause Analysis and implement corrective action and preventative action
• Perform other duties, as assigned

Qualifications and Skills

• BS Degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field required
• Minimum of three (3+) years progressive QA / product development experience in food manufacturing is required. Candidates with 5 or more years of experience will be preferred.
• Leadership skills
• Good communication skills to share ideas / technical information in an easy-to-understand way
• Data analysis skills (collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions)
• PCQI certified and SQF practitioner preferred, but not required
• Candidates with knowledge about the dairy industry are preferred, but candidates with other food industry experience will also be considered
• Ability to ask questions and maintain accountability
• Be able to interact with employees at all levels in the organization
• Demonstrated ability to train others

Essential Functions and Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, handle, reach above the shoulders, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl.

The employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 50 pounds.

• Travel to all MMPA facilities to support audits and inspections is required. The amount of travel may vary, but it will average to about 25%.
• While most travel would be planned, there could be some unplanned and overnight stay required.

Join us in maintaining the highest standards in the dairy industry! Apply now and become part of our dynamic MMPA team!

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