Executive Director Safety and Quality

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Description:

As the Executive Quality and Safety Director for Blake’s Beverage Company, you will be responsible for overseeing and driving a common quality process across our three hard cider production facilities as well as the production facility of our sweet cider business. You will ensure that our products meet or exceed the highest standards for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance while aligning with the brand's commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. This leadership role requires a hands-on approach to developing, implementing, and refining quality control processes, managing teams, and ensuring that every one of our products meets the expectations of our consumers.

In addition, the candidate will also be responsible for implementing a safety focused culture where “all accidents are preventable”.

You will work closely with the operations, production, and supply chain teams to implement best practices in quality management and continuous improvement. In addition, you will be instrumental in fostering a culture of safety and quality, continuous improvement, providing training, and upholding industry certifications and standards.

The Executive Quality Director will oversee all quality activities related to the design and manufacture of all new products. The director will report to the VP of Operations, for the hard cider division. The plant quality managers will report directly to the corporate executive quality director.

The Quality Director is expected to be the impartial voice of the customer. The person in this position will have the authority to stop production and product launches as required due to major quality issues and not meeting customer requirements.

The Quality Director will be responsible for all aspects of corporate quality including product design, product launches and manufacturing quality.

It is expected that the use of modern quality management principles based on a built-in-quality philosophy of Do Not Accept / Build / Ship a Defect will be utilized and implemented.

For the EHS portion of the position the candidate will ensure safety Compliance by prioritizing the safety of our employees by enforcing strict adherence to safety protocols and regulations and fostering a culture of safety awareness.

Key Responsibilities:

· Company Culture: Establish a company culture which focuses on safety as the number one operating priority and that "ALL ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE".

Establish a company culture which focuses on a Do Not Accept / Build /

Ship a Defect quality mind-set.

· Quality Staff: Establish a lean and focused quality staff which in turn leads the

quality process for the company.

· Quality Management System: Lead the development, implementation,

and maintenance of the company’s National Quality Management System

(QMS), ensuring consistency across all production sites.

· Product Quality Assurance: Oversee the entire product lifecycle from

raw material sourcing to final product release, ensuring products meet all

internal and external quality standards and regulations.

· Team Leadership: Lead a national team of quality assurance managers

and technicians across multiple facilities. Provide training, mentorship,

and guidance to ensure adherence to best practices and quality

standards.

· Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that all products meet required federal,

state, and local regulations, including food safety, labeling, and alcohol

industry-specific standards. Work closely with legal and compliance teams

to stay ahead of industry changes.

· Continuous Improvement: Establish a culture of rapid response and structured root cause analysis for quality issues, (at both Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill and Blake’s Beverage Company). Lead the teams in transitioning away from assumption-based problem solving by instilling a disciplined 8D or equivalent approach to identifying and validating true root causes.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to product quality, process

efficiency, and cost reduction. Develop and monitor key performance indicators

(KPIs) to track and improve product consistency and quality.

· Supplier & Vendor Management: Collaborate with sourcing and procurement teams to ensure that raw materials and ingredients meet stringent quality standards. Manage supplier quality audits and establish quality agreements where necessary.

· Consumer Experience: Partner with marketing, sales, and customer service teams to address any quality-related concerns or product issues raised by customers, ensuring brand consistency and consumer satisfaction.

· Data Analysis & Reporting: Analyze quality control data and produce reports for upper management to provide insights on product quality trends, and areas of improvement, and to drive strategic decision-making.

· Innovation: Work closely with R&D and product development teams to support new product launches, ensuring they meet quality standards from concept through commercialization.

· Environmental Health & Safety (EHS): Lead and implement EHS programs to ensure a safe working environment across all facilities, with a focus on preventing accidents, reducing workplace risks, and adhering to environmental standards.

· Field Product Issues & Recalls: Oversee the identification, investigation, and resolution of any product quality issues that arise in the field, ensuring that appropriate corrective actions are implemented swiftly.

· Common processes: Drive common processes and systems across the organization.

· KPIs: Develop plant quality performance metrics and associated performance targets.

· Built-In-Quality: Lead the implementation of the Built-In-Quality principle as included in a Lean Manufacturing System.

· Problem Solving: Develop and implement a disciplined, structured and standardized problem solving process in support of resolving quality issues.

· Advanced Problem Solving: Lead the development of advanced problem solving sources such as Shainin Red X / Statistical Engineering, etc.

· Feedback / Feedforward: Capture closed loop learning / best practices so as to be implemented into company future activities / processes / product programs.

· Business Plan Deployment: Lead the quality business planning process for the company.

· Quality Management: Establish a modern and effective quality management system (QMS) that will be utilized across the organization to document quality processes.

· Lead the company’s EHS initiatives

Qualifications:

· Education: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or related field. A Master's degree or industry certifications (e.g., Six Sigma, ISO 9001, HACCP) is a plus.

· Experience: 10+ years in quality assurance or quality control in the beverage or food industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.

- At least 3 years as a plant quality manager.

- At least 2 years as a corporate quality director

- At least 3 years of experience in running manufacturing operations such

as a plant manager, assistant plant manager or area manager.

· Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop cross-functional teams. Experience managing teams across multiple locations is a plus.

Ability to instill a sense of urgency and analytical discipline across teams,

elevating the quality mindset from reactive to proactive.

· Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of quality control processes, tools, and techniques, including statistical process control (SPC), root cause analysis, and corrective actions. Experience with quality management software is advantageous.

· Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with food safety regulations (FDA, USDA), alcohol industry standards (TTB, state alcohol control boards), and other relevant safety and compliance standards.

· Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact with employees at all levels of the organization, suppliers, and external stakeholders.