Sr Manager, Supplier Food Safety and QA - Grand Rapids, MI

As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family – take care of your career and your community · Meijer R ...

Job description

As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family – take care of your career and your community

Meijer Rewards

• Weekly pay
• Scheduling flexibility
• Paid parental leave
• Paid education assistance
• Team member discount
• Development programs for advancement and career growth

Please review the job profile below and apply today

Lead the end-to-end Food Safety and risk mitigation strategy for Suppliers (Own Brand suppliers, Meijer Manufacturing Ingredient Suppliers, National Brand High-Risk Suppliers, etc.) from qualification and risk assessment through ongoing performance management, incident response, and continuous improvement. You will design and govern a risk-based supplier management framework aligned to regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA, FSMA, USDA, etc.), GFSI benchmarked standards, and our brand's performance ambitions, while developing a high performing team and cross functional partnerships across Own Brands, Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Development, Manufacturing/Operations, and Distribution.

What You'll Be Doing:

Strategy & Governance

• Build and own a risk-based supplier Food Safety strategy for Own Brands, Meijer Manufacturing ingredients (ingredients, finished goods, and packaging), National Brand high-risk products, across categories.

• Establish policies and standards based on science, industry best practices, emerging risks, regulatory requirements, which incorporates GFSI requirements across multitiered supply networks.

• Translate regulatory changes and emerging risks into clear, prioritized controls, SOPs, and verification plans.
• Determine supplier compliance with applicable regulations beyond FSMA/USDA in assigned categories.
• Support implementation of department processes, standards, policies, and projects in a timely manner.

Supplier Qualification & Ongoing Assurance

• Build the program to establish, implement, and manage the Meijer Supplier Food Safety Standard.
• Lead standard development, risk model development, determine the risk ranking requirements, qualification, approval, and maintenance audits of supplier facilities; oversee corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and escalation pathways.
• Integrate food safety requirements for product and process controls within the Own Brand product specifications, collaborating with QA/Product Development; ensure claims (e.g., allergen, "gluten free") are scientifically supported and verified.
• Identify 3P auditing partners to facilitate desk and facility level reviews to verify supplier compliance against the Meijer Standard. This includes facility-level claims (e.g., gluten-free, allergen programs) per regulatory guidance and Meijer standards; and prerequisite programs (pest management, GMPs, allergen control, foreign material prevention, environmental monitoring, master sanitation, food fraud, preventive equipment maintenance) within supplier operations.
• Deploy process capability and SPC programs to improve supplier reliability and reduce variability in critical parameters.

Incident Management & Business Continuity

• Own supplier related incident response (holds, withdrawals, recalls) including track & hold protocols, rapid risk assessment, and crisis communications; manage investigations of product or facility-related issues with suppliers; ensure effective root cause analysis and robust corrective/preventive action.
• Monitor industry-wide outbreaks/recalls and translate lessons learned into preventive changes and supplier requirements.
• Establish and define criteria for change management to ensure safety, compliance, and business continuity.

Cross Functional Leadership Functional Leadership

• Partner with Own Brands/Sourcing/Merchandising/Manufacturing on supplier selection, scorecards, and performance requirements; with Own Brand/Manufacturing & Sourcing on incoming controls and release; with Product Development on design for food safety and shelf life; and with Regulatory/Legal on label claims and compliance.
• Build and maintain professional working relationships with suppliers while holding them accountable to Meijer standards.
• Serve as the Food Safety voice in commercialization and change management to ensure right-the first-time launches and risk-based substitutions.
• Serve as the operational communication link between Meijer, stakeholders, and third-party partners (testing labs, audit/inspection companies) to execute verification activities.
• Escalate supplier/facility performance risks to leadership with Food Safety recommendations on facility status, withdrawals/recalls, disposition, and overall performance action plans.

People & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Food Safety professionals and external partners (labs, audit providers); build a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Provide targeted training (HACCP/FSMA Preventive Controls, FSVP, allergen control, foreign material prevention, environmental monitoring & sanitation, SPC).

Digital Systems & Analytics

• Establish and create supplier/food safety platforms and dashboards to manage risk, specification requirements, and performance at scale, drive data informed decisions.

Key Performance Indicators

• Establish Key Performance Indicators to document, track, and monitor supplier food safety requirements, aligned with Own Brands/Manufacturing/Sourcing/Merchandising.
• Examples of KPIs include:
• % suppliers approved/maintained on time; high risk suppliers with enhanced oversight metric time.
• Audit performance: major/critical nonconformances per audit; CAPA closure process time and reoccurrence rate.
• Incoming defect rate / COA conformity; first pass acceptance.
• Incident metrics.
• Determine methodology to incorporate KPIs into continuous improvement frameworks.

What You Bring With You:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years in Food & Beverage quality/food safety with significant supplier management and manufacturing exposure; plant-level quality leadership experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of FSMA/Preventive Controls/HACCP, GFSI benchmarked schemes (e.g., SQF, BRCGS).
• Demonstrated capability in risk assessment, supplier auditing, statistical tools/SPC, change management, and leading complex cross functional projects.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at multiple levels and with external partners.

• Advanced degree (M.S. in Food Science/Engineering) or MBA; PCQI, HACCP, FSVP, and GFSI auditor/implementer credentials (preferred).

• Experience in global supplier networks and consumer brands (preferred).

• Familiarity with specification and supplier systems (preferred).