Position: VP, Quality & Food Safety
Compensation: $250,000 – $300,000 + 40% bonus + other executive compensation
Location: Chicago, IL
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (3 days in office)
Interviews: Start the week of February 2, 2026
Start Date (as soon as): February 16, 2026
Position Overview
The VP, Quality & Food Safety is responsible for leading the overall Food Quality and Safety standards within central functions, including operations and third-party manufacturers. This executive role leads the central FSQ function, ensuring compliance with industry, customer, and regulatory standards while driving continuous improvements in food quality processes. The VP will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, operations, and supply chain, to maintain consistent and safe food offerings that meet customer frameworks and company strategy. This position leads Product Incident Management Process where applicable and serves as a member of the Leadership Team. Reporting to the CEO, this role is the primary point of contact for Company’s colleagues and ensures that Company’s meets Parent Company’s FSQ Standards.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Interface & Quality Management
- Lead the development of business frameworks to facilitate strong working relationships with existing and new customers at all levels alongside key stakeholders
- Construct and oversee the coordination of technical activities to support the quality plan for strategic customers
- Provide guidance to FBC functions on customer direction/strategy on technical and sustainability related matters
- Provide business representation to nominated accounts on impactful matters of quality, food safety, and sustainability
- Lead the technical function which ensures customer portals are managed effectively and meet customer requirements
- Oversee the team which completes artwork updates and changes
- Evaluate corrective action plans to ensure consumer or customer dissatisfaction trends are addressed, including audit performance concerns
- Oversee the development of joint technical business plans between retailers and FBC, ensuring this meets the needs of both parties while demonstrating continuous improvement and, where required, added value
Performance Management
- Oversee the construction of technical scorecard and evaluate the output of performance review, giving guidance where required
- Ensure impactful customer requests are evaluated alongside FBC strategies
- Oversee the Product Quality Assessment framework and provide feedback to Operations where improvement is needed, setting success measures for improvement
Product Development
- Oversee the teams which evaluate the technical aspects surrounding new product launches, finished product specifications, and artwork origination/changes, escalating any unmitigated risks
- Lead the team which delivers the technical aspects of retailer brand project work as required
Food Law & Regulation
- Ensure the team which evaluates global/local food law framework verifies the best sources available, leveraging Trade Associations, Law Firms, Consultancies, Websites, Online services, etc.
- Oversee the internal legislation hub
- Ensure FBC is prepared for changes in regulation through effective business communication and action plans
- Support the team in defining the regulatory strategy for product development in alignment with business requirements
- Lead the team which provides regulatory intelligence and builds business-wide response plans
Compliance & Standards
- Lead the product labeling compliance team responsible for checking legislation, claims, and outlining validation activities to operational teams
- Provide oversight of the team which validates local legislation on claims (health, nutrition, ingredients) and related conditions of use, taking into consideration local practices
- Drive risk assessments considering legal and reputational issues, and provide instructions and recommendations guidance to all relevant functions for both live and in-development products
- Lead the team which contributes to cross-functional working groups aimed at finding alternative solutions, drafting workflows, and best practices to improve the internal way of working
Project Management
- Collect requests for new FSQ System and Standard projects
- Support the involvement of relevant stakeholders and project kickoff
- Monitor and ensure project execution and progress
FS&Q Governance
- Define and implement FS&Q Governance in consistency with the key milestones of COMPANY’S calendar
- Facilitate the definition of FS&Q Budget and SAF
- Coordinate internal FS&Q stakeholders in the definition of FS&Q Governance
- Serve as primary point of contact for Company’s colleagues – jointly set and review objectives and lead recruitment where applicable
- Ensure that Company’s meets Parent Company’s FSQ Standards through assessment and delivery of corrective action plans
- Monitor Product FSQ standards and ensure ongoing Quality Improvement plans are implemented
Qualifications
Experience
- 4-7 years of progressive experience in food safety and quality management
- Proven track record of leading FSQ initiatives in food manufacturing operations
- Experience managing third-party manufacturer relationships and compliance
- Strong understanding of industry, customer, and regulatory food safety standards
- Experience with Product Incident Management processes
- Prior director-level experience preferred
Skills & Abilities
- Ability to build relationships at all levels
- Pragmatic approach to problem-solving
- Advanced influencing and negotiating skills
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills
- Exceptional leadership skills, particularly remote leadership
- Attention to detail with strategic mindset
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Excellent presentation construction and delivery skills
- Proficiency in relevant IT systems and quality management software
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including R&D, operations, and supply chain
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Quality Management, or related field required
- Master's degree or PhD strongly preferred
Working Conditions
- Hybrid work arrangement based in Chicago office
- Travel required to visit manufacturing sites, third-party manufacturers, and key business locations as needed
For immediate consideration, please email your resume in Word format to Cameron Wall at cameronwall@ifgus.com.