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U.S. Waffle Company

Frozen breakfast food manufacturing

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Full-Time
No salary listed
Senior
Bachelor's
Hazelwood, MO, USA
In Person
Manufacturing Quality & TestValidation, Compliance & Quality Systems

About the job

Requirements
  • A minimum of 5 years of related experience, including proven leadership experience.
  • A university degree in food sciences, microbiology, or chemistry, along with food processing experience and relevant food safety expertise.
  • Ability to improve organizational people, processes, and systems.
  • Strong communication, facilitation, and leadership skills.
  • Strong analytical ability with a bias for making decisions.
  • High level of integrity.
  • Proven ability to organize and lead a team of managers to achieve performance targets and create a climate of cooperation.
  • Ability to deal effectively with hourly and management personnel at all levels.
  • Willingness and proven ability to make decisions and hold people accountable for their performance.
  • Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Experience in health and safety programs is an asset.
  • The position is full-time, permanent, exempt, and expected to work 40 hours per week, with additional hours as business needs require.
  • The position is on-site and not eligible for remote work.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the Food Safety and Quality Assurance process within the plant and oversee government requirements for the HACCP, FSEP, and GMP programs.
  • Coordinate quality initiatives and decision-making with senior management and departmental supervisors to ensure food safety is not compromised.
  • Prepare food safety risk analyses and implement corrective and preventive actions.
  • Serve as the designated SQF practitioner and ensure SQF systems are developed, implemented, reviewed, and maintained.
  • Lead the quality department's development and implementation of training programs for relevant functions and food safety.
  • Lead the internal audit and reassessment process to determine quality program effectiveness and identify health and hygiene issues for immediate resolution and continuous improvement.
  • Assist in developing accident prevention and compliance programs, identify risks, and take appropriate action to minimize them.
  • Validate prerequisite programs and HACCP plans.
  • Review product specifications and process meetings against quality assurance objectives, audit requirements, and regulatory requirements.
  • Prepare audit documentation and participate in customer, government, and third-party audits.
  • Implement quality processes in production to meet customer and quality standards.
  • Oversee validation of quality processes and new product development procedures to identify deviations from quality standards.
  • Oversee non-compliance practices, product nonconformances, and product complaints; ensure prompt investigation and corrective action.
  • Maintain and update GMP policies, procedures, and the quality assurance program.
  • Supervise Food Safety and Quality Assurance staff, including supervisors, and provide feedback, guidance, coaching, training, and resources.
  • Ensure thorough annual training on Safe Quality Foods, Good Manufacturing Practices, and food safety programs.
  • Ensure record keeping is accurate and meets SQF and government regulations.
  • Investigate consumer comments and collaborate with production on resulting action plans.
  • Assist Research and Development with product development, product audits, and raw-material calculations.
  • Support production's continuous improvement efforts.
  • Build relationships with customers and coordinate customer and supplier visits to provide feedback, improve relationships, and resolve quality issues.
  • Assist the staff management team with Safe Quality Food policies and requirements.
  • Supervise and coach direct reports, complete performance reviews, and provide feedback.
  • Adhere to company policies, procedures, and programs, including GMP, quality, food safety, and health and safety programs.
  • Manage QA technician employees and oversee mentoring, performance management, and development of direct reports.
Desired Qualifications
  • Training in Lean Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing.

About the company

U.S. Waffle Company is a food manufacturer focused on frozen breakfast products. It produces waffles, pancakes, French toast, and related prepared foods for branded and private-label customers. Its products move through grocery, foodservice, and distribution channels serving retailers, partners, and consumers. The manufacturing model combines ingredient handling, mixing, cooking, freezing, packaging, quality and food safety, maintenance, warehousing, and supply planning. Work spans production, sanitation, quality, maintenance, engineering, packaging, warehouse, logistics, and supervision.

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Liberty, South Carolina

Founded

2013

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • U.S. Waffle won Whole Foods Supplier All-Star in 2025.
  • Updated 2026 job postings show Hazelwood scaling and hiring across operations.
  • The 315,000-square-foot Liberty bakery supports volume growth and new product launches.

What critics are saying

  • Private-label waffles face brutal pricing pressure from General Mills and Schwan's.
  • A single plant contamination event can shut Liberty, SC and crater contracts quickly.
  • If Cérélia reallocates capital, U.S. Waffle becomes a nonstrategic asset by 2027.

What makes U.S. Waffle Company unique

  • Cérélia-backed U.S. Waffle runs Liberty, SC and Hazelwood, MO plants.
  • It serves retail, foodservice, K-12, and co-manufacturing customers nationwide.
  • SQF-certified facilities and line redundancy reduce supply disruptions for buyers.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours