About this opportunity
FoodStory Brands lists this Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety opportunity in phoenix, Arizona. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Job Title: Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Employment Type: Full Time
Reports To: SVP of Operations (Dotted Line to GM Main Event)
Travel: 50%
Work Schedule: Mon-Fri (8AM-5PM)
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Compensation & Benefits
Pay Range:
120,600-160,800k per year
Incentive Pay: Quarterly performance bonus
Benefits Summary: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) profit sharing, Vacation, Holidays, Floating Holidays, Company-paid LTD and life insurance, and Sick leave
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director, Quality Assurance & Food Safety builds and owns the quality and food safety program for Main Event, FoodStory Brands’ new protein bar brand, and serves as the final quality authority on product release, co-manufacturer qualification, and label and claims approval. This position designs and implements the quality management system; qualifies, audits, and oversees co-manufacturers and suppliers; sets testing, specification, and shelf-life strategy; governs claims and labeling; and leads recall readiness, traceability, and consumer complaint programs. The Director sets the quality strategy, budget, and KPIs; represents quality to executives, regulators, retailers, and our licensing partner; and partners closely with R&D, Marketing, Operations, and Sales to keep the brand moving fast without ever outrunning the data. This is a hands-on individual contributor role: the Director owns the quality function end to end, using contract laboratories, auditors, and consultants rather than an internal team.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties are essential to successful performance in this position. Other duties may be assigned.
Quality Strategy and Leadership
Set the multi-year quality and food safety strategy for Main Event, aligned to the brand’s growth, launch, and co-manufacturing plans
Build and manage the quality budget, including laboratory testing, third-party audits, certifications, and quality systems
Define quality KPIs (e.g., complaints per million units, hold-and-release cycle time, co-manufacturer scorecard results, audit findings, and first-pass label approvals), and report performance, risks, and resource needs to the executive team monthly
Maintain a quality and food safety risk register, and allocate resources based on risk
Decide which quality work to handle directly and which to outsource to laboratories, auditors, and consultants, and build the documentation and systems that let a one-person function scale
Own quality gates in the product development and launch process; no SKU launches or ships without QA sign-off
Serve as the company’s quality representative to regulators (including FDA inspections and inquiries), retailers, co-manufacturers, and the licensing partner
Lead crisis response for food safety incidents, recalls, and regulatory actions, including executive briefings and coordination with Legal, insurance, and communications
Select and manage contract laboratories, auditors, and consultants, including scope, cost, and service levels
Build a food safety culture across FoodStory Brands and its co-manufacturers, and keep leadership informed of regulatory changes that affect the brand
Quality Management System
Design and implement the quality management system (QMS), including document control, retention, training, and audit-readiness standards
Author and approve the SOP library, covering sampling plans, hold/release, deviations and CAPA, label approval, claims review, complaint handling, change control, and recall
Hold final authority on product hold, release, and disposition, and build quality requirements into launch plans early so they protect timelines rather than delay them
Set co-manufacturer quality and food safety requirements, including specifications, in-process checks, release criteria, and documentation
Co-Manufacturer and Supplier Quality
Own co-manufacturer and supplier qualification end to end: set risk-based criteria, build scorecards, risk-rank candidate facilities, and approve or disqualify them
Use current GFSI certifications (SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000) and audit reports as the baseline for qualification and ongoing verification
Lead on-site audits of all critical co-manufacturers at least annually
Review and challenge co-manufacturer HACCP and food safety plans, and require corrective action where needed
Own the supplier and ingredient program, including raw material specifications, supplier documentation, and FSMA supply-chain program and Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) compliance
Testing, Specifications, and Shelf Life
Set the testing strategy: what is tested, how often, by which labs, and against what acceptance criteria, including pathogen controls for low-moisture products
Review Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) and lab results, and disposition product accordingly
Design and interpret real-time and accelerated shelf-life and stability studies
Own nutrient analysis and Nutrition Facts Panel validation, including protein quality (PDCAAS) for %DV declarations
Claims, Labeling, and Certifications
Own the claims substantiation framework and approve all packaging, website, and social media claims before release
Ensure label compliance with FDA labeling regulations (21 CFR 101), including nutrient content claims and allergen labeling
Own the allergen control program across all co-manufacturers and suppliers, including standards for letters of guarantee and cross-contact risk review
Manage the California Prop 65 risk program, including warning-label determinations
Manage third-party certifications that support product claims (e.g., gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO), including renewals and certification audits
Recall Readiness, Traceability, and Complaints
Own the recall and market withdrawal plan, including roles, decision criteria, regulatory and customer notification, and communication templates
Establish lot traceability from ingredient receipt through production to customer shipment, and run mock recalls at least annually
Lead the consumer complaint program, including intake, investigation, root cause, response, and trending by lot, co-manufacturer, and issue type
Change Control, Retailer Compliance, and Partnership
Own change control for formulas, specifications, suppliers, co-manufacturers, and packaging
Own retailer and customer quality requirements, including specification sheets, supplier portal documentation, certificates, and customer audits
Partner with R&D on formula development and optimization, and advise Marketing on claims and copy before launch
Maintain confidentiality and use discretion when working with proprietary formulas, licensing partner information, and other sensitive information
Attends all required staff trainings and meetings, and completes all assigned training on time
Adheres to and promotes the FoodStory Brands Mission, Vision, and Values while acting as a role model for others
Other duties as assigned
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
This position has no direct reports. The Director manages the work of contract laboratories, third-party auditors, and consultants.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Nutrition, Chemistry, or a related field
10+ years of QA/food safety experience in food manufacturing, including 3–5 years leading QA programs
Co-manufactured CPG experience required; bars, nutrition, or low-moisture products strongly preferred
Demonstrated experience managing a quality budget and leading QA programs
Experience representing quality with regulators, retailers, and executive leadership, including FDA inspections and customer audits
Track record of building a QMS, SOPs, and documentation systems from the ground up
Experience auditing co-manufacturers against GFSI schemes (SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000)
Experience leading recall planning, mock recalls, lot traceability, and consumer complaint programs
PCQI certification required, or obtained within 90 days of hire
Experience with retailer quality requirements and supplier portals preferred
Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with specification or label management systems preferred
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
Deep working knowledge of HACCP, FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food, and FSVP
Expert knowledge of FDA labeling regulations (21 CFR 101), Nutrition Facts Panel development, nutrient content claims, and allergen requirements
Working knowledge of California Prop 65 requirements and warning-label determinations
Ability to design and interpret shelf-life and stability studies and to set statistically sound sampling plans
Strategic thinking, with the ability to build a multi-year quality roadmap and make risk-based tradeoffs on resources and timelines
Sound judgment to make release and claims decisions under commercial pressure, and the influence to make them stick
Ability to build credible, accountable relationships with co-manufacturers, suppliers, and laboratories
Ability to work with R&D, Marketing, Operations, Sales, and Leadership teams
Executive-level written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain technical and regulatory concepts clearly
Calm, decisive leadership during food safety incidents, recalls, and customer escalations
Process-driven temperament with discipline in detail, accuracy, and documentation
Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality
Demonstrated commitment to FoodStory Brands’ entrepreneurial culture — thinking dynamically, acting with transparency, and committing to shared success and mutual growth
Hiring Process
Our process may include application review, interviews, assessments, reference checks, and a conditional offer.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status.
Accommodation Statement
Applicants needing accommodation during the hiring process may contact human resources @
Work Authorization
Employment is contingent upon the ability to work lawfully in the United States and completion of employment eligibility verification after hire.
Background Check / Drug Testing
Employment offers may be contingent upon job-related screening, where permitted by law.
At Will Employment
Employment with FoodStory Brands is at-will, meaning either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
This job postings not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the role. xzgxqkn The company reserves the right to modify this description at any time.
Worksite address
phoenix, AZ, 85003, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.