Founder-minded Director of FSQA, Operations or Compliance Candidate

SEEKING A ROLE AS:
Founder-minded Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety, Operations, or Compliance for a small or mid-sized bakery, snack food, or specialty food company seeking a hands-on leader who can strengthen food safety systems, support growth, improve operations, and bring practical owner/operator judgment across the business — including allergen risk consulting and food allergy program development for clients and internal teams.

LOCATION: Currently living in Rockaway, NJ and not open to relocation but open to remote/hybrid work.

SKILLS & ACHIEVEMENTS:
Founder, owner-operator, and Quality Assurance/Food Safety leader with 30+ years of progressive experience building and scaling a specialty food business from the ground up. Brings the practical mindset of a business owner who has worn many hats — strategy, operations, regulatory compliance, quality systems, team leadership, customer relationships, retail distribution, supplier oversight, and P&L accountability — while maintaining audit-ready, FSMA/FDA-compliant programs in allergen-controlled and kosher-certified environments.
• 30+ years of experience in food & beverage manufacturing, including specialty bakery products with vegan, top-9-allergen-free, and kosher-certified positioning
• Deep expertise in HACCP, FSMA/FDA compliance, GMP, SQF-aligned practices, allergen management (top 9), kosher certification, third-party audit readiness, SOP/document control, supplier/co-packer oversight, CAPA, and recall prevention
• Delivered one-on-one food allergy consultations for clients navigating top-10 allergen avoidance — translating clinical restrictions into safe ingredient selection, label reading, cross-contact prevention, and kitchen/menu adaptation strategies
• Entrepreneurial “wearing many hats” operator with hands-on ownership across quality assurance, food safety, production, staffing, training, purchasing, supplier and co-packer coordination, customer service, sales support, retail account management, cost control, and day-to-day business problem-solving
• Previously has managed teams of direct reports, building and leading workforces of 60+ employees with strong training, accountability, and performance systems
• Full owner-level P&L accountability for a $2M+ annual revenue business, balancing growth, margins, staffing, operations, compliance requirements, vendor relationships, and major retail distribution partnerships across 52 Whole Foods and 32 ShopRite locations
• Proven compliance track record: sustained a HACCP-based program with zero critical FDA or health department violations across 13+ years of operations
EDUCATION:
Associate of Science in Health Administration, University of Phoenix; Associate of Science in Business Administration, Northern Caribbean University; ServSafe Allergy Awareness Certificate, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

COMPENSATION: Targeting a minimum base salary of approximately $100,000 depending on location, scope of responsibilities and overall compensation package,

If you are interested in speaking with a founder-minded quality assurance/food safety leader and hands-on business operator who:
• Has built, operated, staffed, scaled, and protected a specialty food business from the ground up
• Is looking to help a small or mid-sized food company strengthen food safety systems, allergen controls, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance with the practical judgment of someone who understands how quality, operations, people, customers, cost control, and growth all have to work together in a real manufacturing environment
• Is capable of leading HACCP/FSMA programs, managing kosher and third-party audits, driving supplier quality, and partnering cross-functionally with operations and commercial teams, and bringing allergen/food-allergy consulting expertise to clients and cross-functional teams alike, then

Contact:
Kris Binninger
krisb@kinsa.com
Contact:
Joe Sommerfeldt
joes@kinsa.com
Worksite Preference:Open
Employment Preference:Permanent