Enterprise Food Safety and Sensory Supervisor

Summary

The Enterprise Sensory Program Supervisor leads and manages a variety of initiatives and projects related to the advancement of Sensory, which includes the development of sensory training accessible to all employees, focused taste panels, finished good sensory attributes definition, leveraging of sensory evaluation tools.

In addition, this position is responsible for providing consultative sensory technical advisement to all plants and is required to exercise sound judgment on addressing variances.

Additionally, incumbent is responsible for supporting the evolution and supporting sensory programs that directly impact Plant and Enterprise functions.

The incumbent will work closely with other departments such as Sensory, Sourcing, Production, and their Food Safety peers across all facilities to ensure each meal produced is of the highest quality and meets the established taste and appearance standards.

Incumbent is required to work within established company procedures, quality standards, and government or regulatory guidelines, and will lead the development of new enterprise processes and programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to the creation and implementation of food safety and sensory programs and systems to ensure the success of the company’s objectives, goals, strategies, policies, processes, procedures, and compliance.
• Participate in efforts to develop new, improved or more cost-effective sensory tools, methods, and evaluation techniques to drive improvement, maintaining highest product quality, taste, and appearance standards, in addition to optimization of plant sensory programs that directly impact plant function.
• Develop systems for improving communication and collaboration between Food Safety and Sensory, Executive Management, Production, Consumer Relations, and Marketing
• Participation in the Amy’s Sensory Training Program, including the development of training and rolling out said training to the manufacturing locations.
• Develops sensory targets and evaluation techniques for new products and provides training support to sensory panels at manufacturing locations.
• Manages Enterprise level tasting panel responsible for reviewing escalated samples from manufacturing organizations, plant trial samples, raw material approvals and nonconformances, and as needed review for special projects.
• Supports escalation process within enterprise tasting panel for further leadership review.
• Collaborates with Sourcing and Supplier Quality Specialists to provide ongoing feedback to suppliers regarding raw material sensory expectations.

As needed, supports continuous improvement initiatives regarding raw material sensory requirements and provides recommendations to suppliers to drive improvement.

Responsible for immediate escalation support for manufacturing related to sensory deviations from approved standards. Provides guidance to manufacturing teams and plant Food Safety and Sensory teams to address immediate next steps and needs.

Leads and participates in root cause investigations and corrective action implementation in addressing sensory deviations

• Create and adapt sensory evaluations and procedures that utilize sensory software and tools to advance the recording, tracking, analysis, and communication of sensory tasting results.
• Support strategy for addressing sensory consumer complaints. Proactively evaluate, develop, and implement new sensory techniques to address such sensory / consumer issues.
• Oversee utilization of tools for sensory result collection, tracking, and report out from enterprise Sensory tasting panel
• Maintains strong understanding of Amy’s food safety requirements in support of development of processes, programs, and procedures that ensure both sensory and food safety needs are met.
• Attends manufacturing-level tasting panels to support training needs for manufacturing team members, and as well to support tastings of critical reviews.
• Stay current with literature or information regarding sensory evaluation.
• Manage projects, maintain records, write reports, and create specs, as required.
• Responsible for managing and supporting direct reports and team’s day to day task management and longer-term development and growth at Amy’s.
• Perform other duties as assigned
• Follows Good Manufacturing Practices (work habits, GMP’s and correct food-handling procedures).
• It is the responsibility of all employees to uphold the mission of the Amy’s Food Safety and Quality Policy. This includes following all Food Safety and Sustainability programs and participating in all required training.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversees Enterprise Sensory Food Technologists, Ingredient Approvals Supervisor, and an Enterprise Sensory Specialist.

Qualifications and Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from four-year College or University; or equivalent combination of education and experience in related area, including sensory, food science, and / or culinary arts

EXPERIENCE

Three to Five years related experience and / or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

SKILLS

• Extensive knowledge of sensory science
• Passion for food, cooking, flavors, ingredients, etc.
• Keen ability to discern a wide variety of flavors and odors; sensitive taste buds and sensory skills
• Proven well developed / effective communication and teamwork skills
• Adept at training and engaging audiences
• Strong computer, project management and written communication skills
• Proven success multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment
• High degree of ownership and professional commitment
• Bilingual Spanish / English a plus
• Non-smoker and non-denture wearer
• Valid US Driver’s License

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Exceptional organizational skills.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel;

reach with hands and arms; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and / or humid conditions, cold (coolers and freezers) and hot (processing equipment) conditions and moving mechanical parts.

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

TRAVEL

Estimated travel requirements are approximately 25%.

Compensation Range for the Bay area :

$85,600-$128,400