Quality Assurance Manager

Kinsa is recruiting for a: Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Greater Chicago, IL Area

A growing food and ingredient manufacturer is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager to lead and strengthen quality and food safety systems across multiple manufacturing locations. This role will provide leadership for quality teams while driving audit readiness, supplier quality, and customer-specific requirements.

Compensation/Benefits:

• $120-140k base salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive healthcare
• 401(k)
• Paid holidays and PTO

Key Responsibilities and Goals:

• Lead quality and food safety programs across multiple locations, ensuring compliance with SQF, HACCP, GMP, FSMA, and regulatory requirements while maintaining consistent audit readiness.
• Strengthen CAPA, root cause analysis, documentation, and quality systems to proactively identify and resolve quality risks.
• Manage supplier quality and FSVP programs, including supplier qualification, incoming material documentation, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.
• Serve as a key customer-facing quality leader, managing quality communications, complaint investigations, recurring issues, and customer-specific requirements.
• Partner closely with Production and Operations to manage raw material variability, finished product specifications, product release, and practical quality solutions.
• Lead and develop quality teams across multiple locations while establishing clear KPIs, project plans, accountability, and consistent processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen quality, workflow efficiency, documentation, and ERP utilization while balancing operational and cost considerations.

Competencies Needed for Success:

• 7+ years of quality leadership experience within food or ingredient manufacturing, including experience managing teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of GFSI, FSMA, food safety systems, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with FSVP, supplier quality programs, CAPA, root cause analysis, and quality documentation systems.
• Proven experience partnering directly with production teams and managing customer-specific product specifications.
• Strong customer-facing quality experience, including complaint investigation, problem resolution, and professional customer communication.
• Experience developing structured project plans, KPIs, and accountability systems within a multi-site or complex manufacturing environment.

Referrals are our best source for the top talent our clients need, so if you know someone with these skills in the food and beverage industry, please pass along their name and contact information or share this opportunity with them. Kinsa pays referral bonuses when a referral is hired by our client!

Recruiter Information:
Stephanie Savage
stephanies@kinsa.com