Senior Supplier Quality Specialist

The Sr 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.

Locations and Ingredients:
Evaluate information provided by suppliers to ensure compliance to Land O'Lakes EQMS.

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. Master’s degree desired.

• Minimum five years’ experience in Quality/Food Safety Management.

• 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 50%+ 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: $91,120 - $136,680. 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.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its 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.