Supplier Quality Assurance Specialist

The Supplier Quality Assurance Specialist is a member of the Quality team providing in-depth (deepening) technical knowledge and experience in primary assigned ingredient categories. This includes ensuring compliance toward food safety, regulatory and quality procedures and standards for ingredients & suppliers. The work is completed through risk assessments, audits and corrective action follow-ups, review/monitoring of critical information and verifying supplier adherence to defined requirements. 
 
This role will also serve as one of the primary faces of LOL Quality to the assigned ingredient suppliers. This is necessary in order to protect our plants, our customers, our end users and ultimately our brands.  Risk Assessment, Approval and Maintenance of Ingredient Supplier.
In this role, you will:

• Support new product development teams. 

• Provide input and approve ingredient specifications from food safety and quality perspective (e.g. ingredient hazard categories). 

• Partner with Sourcing to maintain approved supplier list. 

• Leads (Provide input to) development of desk review/on-site audit plans and completes activities per the plan. 

• Identify, Train, and Qualify (Assist in managing) 2nd party audit firms 

• Manage supplier corrective action & preventive action 

• Determine (Assigns) approval status of supplier facility locations 

• Manages on-going supplier location and ingredient monitoring to ensure compliance for business continuity. 

• Leads (Supports) integration of new acquisitions to ensure compliance to LOL supplier quality standards and requirements. 

• Manage (Utilize) Supplier Issue Tracking (SIT) system and documentation, ensure timely close out of issues, and provide feedback and reports to users and stakeholders. 

 
FSMA Compliance: 
Leads (Provides input to) development and implementation of regulatory compliance programs (e.g. Foreign Supplier Verification Program, Bulk Feed Transportation Program, Supply Chain Preventive Control Program, Economically Motivated Adulteration). 
 
Data Analysis & Training: 
Leads Maintaining/reporting on metrics 
Leads maintenance of (Maintain) audit reports, supplier risk assessments, and update the approved supplier list in a timely manner 
Assist plants, sourcing, and transportation in resolving supplier issues 
Analyzes data for trends to turn it into actionable information 
Provide training to both internal and external partners 
 
System Improvement: 
Identify and implement system improvements (Make suggestions to improving systems/processes and participate in the improvement activities.) 
Required Education, Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required: 

• Bachelors’ in Food Science, Animal Science or equivalent

• Minimum five years’ experience in Quality/Food Science background.

• Experience in Food/Feed/Dairy Manufacturing desired. 

• Must have great collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively work closely with cross-functional teams. 

• Ability to travel up to 30%+ of the time.

Highly Preferred:

• Create appropriate metrics that serve to support and measure the success of the Internal and External Supply Chain Quality to drive continuous improvement. 

• Auditing, Food and Feed Regulations desired. 

• Facilitate the engagement, communication, and consistent application of metrics and goals 

• Excellent organizational, communications, interpersonal and team interaction skills.  

• Highly motivated, self-directed and a self-starter with strong business mindset. ​ 

• Proficiency in standard business software (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) 

Salary Range: $93,360 - $140,040 . In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges. 

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

We provide a broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best. Land O'Lakes is Where Your Future Takes Root.

Land O’Lakes and our global entities support diversity in employment practices.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its affiliates or search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.    

If you need to submit a reasonable accommodation request to complete the employment application process, please call the HR Solution Center at 844-LOL-HR4U (844-565-4748) M-F 8:00am-4:30pm CT.