Role Overview

Lead the implementation and governance of the External Manufacturing Quality Management (EMQM) program at Kevin’s Natural Foods.
Ensure external manufacturers comply with Kevin’s and Mars Quality Management standards.
Own supplier qualification, approval, and ongoing performance management.
Act as a key technical authority ensuring quality and food safety standards across external partners.
Support both strategic (supplier development, program deployment) and tactical (audits, issue resolution) activities.
Define validation and verification programs to ensure product equivalency and food safety.
Drive visibility of external manufacturer quality performance and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
Manage change control processes impacting quality and food safety.
Facilitate supplier quality processes, policies, and onboarding frameworks.
Develop and improve RACIs and ways of working for material and supplier onboarding.
Monitor and improve inbound raw and packaging material quality across sites.
Establish KPIs and metrics to track supplier quality performance and compliance.
Conduct supplier audits (low, medium, high risk) to assess capability and compliance.
Lead initial supplier assessments and ongoing verification activities.
Identify gaps and drive corrective and preventative actions (CAPA) with suppliers.
Maintain supplier status, risk assessments (e.g., EMPRA), and technical documentation.
Partner with Procurement, R&D, and project teams to support external manufacturing in innovation projects.
Act as the quality lead for co-manufactured product development.
Ensure suppliers meet quality and food safety requirements for new product launches.
Lead investigations related to external manufacturing quality incidents.
Conduct risk assessments and determine product disposition.
Identify root causes and ensure effective CAPA implementation.
Monitor trends and incorporate learnings into continuous improvement efforts.
Drive supplier development initiatives to improve capability and performance.
Contribute quality insights to sourcing and supply strategies.
Engage with global and regional quality communities to align on best practices.
Support management reviews with data-driven recommendations.
Require regular interactions with external manufacturers, suppliers, and global quality teams.
Other duties as assigned or necessary.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or related field (preferred).
4+ years of experience in Quality, Food Safety, or Technical functions.
Experience managing external manufacturers and supplier quality.
Strong background in auditing Quality Management Systems and supplier facilities.
Strong understanding of Quality & Food Safety standards (e.g., HACCP, GMP, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000).
Experience with Material Quality Management and supplier quality systems.
Proven problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.
Strong communication and project management skills.
Certified Lead Auditor (FSSC 22000 or equivalent) Certification
HACCP certification.
Ability to travel up to ~40%.

Benefits

Offers Bonus
- Benefits

Kevin's Natural Foods

Open Positions (1)

Data

External Manufacturing & Supplier Quality Assurance Analyst