Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance Job Listing at Kelly Services in Chicago, IL (Job ID 10132113)

Description

Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA)
Location: Chicago – South Holland, IL
Pay Range: $125,000 – $160,000 per year + up to 30% Bonus Potential
Shift: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Onsite; flexibility required for audits/visits)
Status: Full-Time, Direct Hire
 
Overview:
We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Director of Food Safety & QA to lead the quality department at our brand-new, state-of-the-art cooking oils production facility in South Holland. In this newly created leadership role, you will be the site's primary Food Safety authority, responsible for building, refining, and scaling our quality systems.
 
You will oversee a dedicated, tenured team and partner closely with the VP of Operations and the Director of Growth and Innovation to ensure our products exceed industry standards. This is a high-impact opportunity for a leader who enjoys transition, program development, and mentoring a technically skilled team in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
 
Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Serve as the primary site Food Safety leader, providing technical direction for the development and implementation of quality systems aligned with GFSI standards and regulatory requirements.
• Team Management: Provide direct oversight to the FSQA team (including 1 QA Manager and 5 salaried professionals); lead hiring, onboarding, and performance development.
• Regulatory & Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for USDA/FDA inspectors and external quality counterparts at customer and supplier organizations.
• Program Development: Analyze and update SOPs, HACCP plans, and food safety programs to ensure continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Operational Oversight: Direct in-process quality control, including raw material and finished goods testing; monitor performance through established KPIs and quality metrics.
• Audits & Compliance: Manage internal and external audit processes, ensuring timely closure of findings and maintaining compliance across offsite warehouses.
• Budgetary Control: Establish and manage departmental expenditures and costs in alignment with the annual budget.
• Collaboration: Support facility initiatives and capital projects, providing functional QA leadership to cross-functional teams.

 
Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a closely related scientific field.
• Experience: 7–10 years of progressive experience in food processing quality assurance.
• Leadership: At least 5 years of management experience; prior experience at the Director level is preferred, but experienced Senior Managers are encouraged to apply.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep expertise in USDA/FDA regulations and GFSI standards is required. Experience in the food industry is mandatory (Cooking oils experience is a significant plus).
• Certifications: HACCP certification is required; PCQI certification is highly preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proven ability to lead audits, create action plans, and develop robust SOPs from the ground up.
• Communication: Strong decision-making skills and the ability to communicate complex technical information to various stakeholders.
• Logistics: Must be able to work onsite daily in South Holland (designated parking provided) and travel locally (~5%) to suppliers or trade shows.

 
Benefits & Relocation:
Comprehensive benefits package (Health, Dental, Vision, etc.).
Negotiable relocation assistance up to $10,000 (reimbursement-based for non-local candidates).
High-visibility role in a newly opened facility with a "net-new" leadership seat.
 
What Happens Next:
Once you apply, our recruitment team will review your professional background and food industry experience. If your profile aligns with our leadership needs, we will reach out to schedule an initial virtual interview with our VP of Operations. Following the virtual round, qualified candidates will be invited onsite to tour our new facility and meet the team.
 
Note: We are not currently offering sponsorship for this position.
 

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

Why Kelly® Science & Clinical?

Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world's most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals—it's the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.

About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we're obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it's about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It's the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It's the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life—just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and we take affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in the workforce. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to the Kelly Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California's state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment. Kelly participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

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