Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor

Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor

Northlake IL

Misfits Market is a mission-driven, high-growth startup dedicated to reducing food waste and making shopping for sustainable, high-quality groceries easier and more affordable. We deliver organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, plant-based proteins, dairy, bakery, wine, and other grocery items to nearly every zip code in 48 states at up to 30 percent off traditional grocery store prices. In 2022, Misfits Market acquired sustainable e-grocer Imperfect Foods and now leverages its in-house transportation network to deliver directly to consumers with one of the most carbon-efficient grocery delivery models on the market. By tackling inefficiencies in the food system, our passionate and motivated team of problem solvers helps save an average of 500,000 pounds of food per week from waste or lesser outcomes, with an all-time savings of 190+ million pounds of food.

As Misfits we support our customers and mission by embracing our core values of Prioritizing our Customers, Doing more with less, Thinking Differently, Respecting one another, Moving deliberately and quickly, Taking initiative and delivering.

About the Role

The Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor provides proactive leadership in developing, implementing, and monitoring company quality, food safety, and employee safety requirements. This role serves as a lead and SQF Champion, leading quality assurance and sanitation program execution, internal auditing, and compliance with GFSI/SQF, customer and regulatory standards. Additionally, the Supervisor serves as one of the "Voice of the Customer," analyzing feedback to drive improvements and providing essential support functions to the Operations/Quality Engineering team to ensure seamless operational excellence.

This is not a desk job!!! You will be an active presence on the warehouse floor, bridging the gap between high-level quality strategy and daily operations. You will drive continuous improvement projects, analyze defect data to identify trends, and act as a cultural change agent, empowering our teams to take ownership of quality and safety.

What You'll Do Daily

Core Quality & Food Safety

• Develops and implements Quality and Food Safety policies and programs including internal quality standards, FSMA, GMP, Environmental Monitoring Program, Sanitation, and Traceability as outlined in the SQF Standards.
• Conducts annual reviews of Food Safety Plans, Training Material, Sanitation Processes, and food defense protocols.
• Collects, analyzes, and summarizes data to create and monitor food safety KPIs to effectively improve product and processes.
• Leads the team of QA/QC & Sanitation Technicians to ensure compliance with SQF and company standards.

Employee Safety & Compliance

• Integrates employee safety protocols into daily quality operations, ensuring all team members adhere to OSHA and internal safety standards.
• Conducts regular safety audits and risk assessments to identify potential hazards within the production and quality environments.
• Collaborates with facilities and operations teams to ensure equipment and workstations meet ergonomic and safety requirements.

Supplier Management & Regulatory Compliance

• Manages supplier compliance and documentation using TraceGains and other platforms to verify and maintain up-to-date food safety and quality records.
• Interacts directly with suppliers regarding non-conformances, ensuring robust root cause analysis and timely corrective actions.
• Verifies the accuracy of regulatory documentation and records to ensure full compliance with FBM & Misfits Rx Partner requirements.
• Maintains the Approved Supplier List and coordinates with procurement to onboard new vendors following internal risk assessment protocols.

Engineering Support & Operations

• Provides critical support functions to the Quality Engineer, including assisting with the validation of new equipment and the implementation of the electronic QMS.
• Aids in the development of efficient document control management processes using available databases, and platforms as the Jalapeno WM System.
• Collaborates on cross-functional projects to streamline fulfillment center operations and enhance quality engineering workflows.

Leadership & Culture

• Builds awareness, training, and education programs to drive a culture of safety, quality, and accountability.
• Provides continuous feedback, coaching, and regular performance reviews for the QA team.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for USDA and PACA grading standards to support mission-based quality goals.

Who You Are

• A Culture Change Agent: You know that Quality isn't about policing people; it's about coaching them. You can influence associates and managers alike to care about the details.
• Analytical: You love Excel, Google Sheets, SQL, or Tableau. You don't just see numbers; you see the story they tell about our operations.
• Resilient: Fulfillment centers are fast-paced environments. You can handle shifting priorities and keep a cool head under pressure.
• A Problem Solver: You don't just put a band-aid on a problem; you find the root cause (5 Whys, Fishbone) and fix it forever.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing), Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related technical field.
• Experience: 25 years of experience in a Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement, or Process Engineering role within a manufacturing, food production, or high-volume fulfillment environment.
• Technical Skills: * Strong proficiency in Data Analysis and Statistical Process Control.
• Experience with Project Management methodologies.
• Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles (Green Belt is a plus).
• Food Safety: FDA PCQI Certified, USDA-AMS & FSIS, GFSI-specifically SQF Preactititioner, FSMA regulations, and HACCP Certified.
• Spanish-strongly preferred
• Supplier Management experience
• OSHA and Safety Management experience
• Soft Skills: Exceptional communication skillsability to translate technical quality concepts into clear instructions for warehouse associates.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to spend 50% of time on the warehouse floor in cold environments (36F and below).

Details of Position & Benefits:

• Salary range: $75,000 - $85,000 / year
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Annual Misfits grocery box credit of $1200 paid in weekly installments
• Life insurance
• Paid vacation time
• Paid holidays
• Paid sick days
• Commuter benefits