Food Safety & Quality Control Manager

Warmerdam Packing, LLC, headquartered in Hanford, California, packs, cools and ships premium cherries plum cherries, kiwi and pomegranates. Its farming division, New Excelsior Farming, LLC is one of the largest cherry growers in the southern San Joaquin Valley and farms over 1,500 acres of cherries, plum cherries and kiwi.Hanford, California, packs, cools and ships premium cherries, plum cherries, kiwi and pomegranates. Its farming division, New Excelsior Farming, LLC is one of the largest cherry growers in the southern San Joaquin Valley and farms over 1,500 acres of cherries, plum cherries and kiwi.

The Food Safety & Quality Control Manager is responsible for overseeing, implementing, and continuously improving the company’s food safety and quality systems for fresh fruit operations. This role ensures compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA Produce Safety Rule, customer specifications, and third-party audit standards while driving a strong food safety culture across packing, storage, and distribution operations.

Job Duties & Description:
Food Safety & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain food safety programs including HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and FSMA Produce Safety compliance
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, state regulations, and customer requirements
• Serve as the primary contact for regulatory agencies, third-party auditors, and customer audits
• Lead and manage audits (PrimusGFS, Global G.A.P., SQF, or similar) and corrective action follow-up
• Oversee environmental monitoring, sanitation verification, and pathogen prevention programs

Quality Control

• Manage incoming, in-process, and finished product quality inspections
• Establish and enforce quality specifications for fresh fruit products
• Investigate quality issues, customer complaints, and non-conformances; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Monitor shelf-life, maturity, defects, and product condition
• Cold Chain Management throughout the production process

Team Leadership & Training

• Lead, train, and mentor QC and food safety staff
• Conduct food safety, GMP, and quality training for operations personnel
• Promote a strong food safety and quality culture throughout the organization

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate food safety and quality records
• Review and approve SOPs, policies, and procedures
• Prepare reports on audit results, trends, and performance metrics

Continuous Improvement

• Identify risks and opportunities for improvement in food safety and quality systems
• Support operational efficiency while maintaining compliance and product integrity

Qualifications:

• 3–5+ years of food safety and quality management experience in fresh produce or fresh fruit operations
• Strong knowledge of FSMA Produce Safety Rule, HACCP, GMPs, and sanitation programs
• Experience leading third-party audits and regulatory inspections
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills
• HACCP Certification (Preferred)
• PCQI certification (Preferred)
• Experience with PrimusGFS, Global GA, SQF, or similar audit schemes (Preferred)
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods while conducting plant inspections, audits, and production floor monitoring.
• Frequent bending, reaching, climbing stairs/ladders, and occasional crouching or kneeling to inspect equipment and sanitation conditions.
• Capability to lift and carry items up to 25–35 pounds (e.g., product samples, testing equipment, documentation materials).
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate laboratory testing equipment, computers, tablets, and measuring devices.
• Adequate vision (near, distance, color, and peripheral) to review product quality, labeling, and documentation accuracy.
• Ability to hear alarms, equipment signals, and verbal communication in a manufacturing environment.
• Capability to wear required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as hairnets, beard covers, gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, and protective footwear for extended periods.

Environmental Factors:

• Regular work within food processing, cold storage, warehouse, and production environments with exposure to:
• Temperature variations (refrigerated, freezer, and ambient processing areas).
• Wet, humid, or slippery floor conditions.
• Food-grade chemicals, sanitizers, and cleaning agents.
• Noise levels requiring hearing protection in certain areas.
• Periodic work in office or laboratory settings for documentation review, regulatory reporting, data analysis, and training activities.
• Possible exposure to common food allergens and raw agricultural or protein products, depending on facility operations.
• Ability to work flexible or extended hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, or holidays, to support production schedules, audits, or incident response.
• Occasional local or regional travel for supplier audits, training, or regulatory inspections.

Dress Code Standards:
This position works in both office and food manufacturing environments. Attire must meet food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The Company is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws. Employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics under California law. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Company provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law. Applicants requesting accommodation during the hiring process should contact Human Resources. 

Workers’ Compensation & Workplace Safety
This position operates within a safety-sensitive food manufacturing environment. The Company maintains compliance with California workers’ compensation laws, Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requirements, and all applicable workplace