Sr Manager, Supplier Food Safety and QA

As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you’re provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family – take care of your career and your community!

 

Meijer Rewards

• Weekly pay

• Scheduling flexibility

• Paid parental leave 

• Paid education assistance

• Team member discount

• Development programs for advancement and career growth

 

Please review the job profile below and apply today!

Lead the end-to-end Food Safety and risk mitigation strategy for Suppliers (Own Brand suppliers, Meijer Manufacturing Ingredient Suppliers, National Brand High-Risk Suppliers, etc.) from qualification and risk assessment through ongoing performance management, incident response, and continuous improvement. You will design and govern a risk-based supplier management framework aligned to regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA, FSMA, USDA, etc.), GFSI benchmarked standards, and our brand’s performance ambitions, while developing a high performing team and cross functional partnerships across Own Brands, Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Development, Manufacturing/Operations, and Distribution.

 

What You’ll Be Doing: 

Strategy & Governance 

• Build and own a risk-based supplier Food Safety strategy for Own Brands, Meijer Manufacturing ingredients (ingredients, finished goods, and packaging), National Brand high-risk products, across categories.

• Establish policies and standards based on science, industry best practices, emerging risks, regulatory requirements, which incorporates GFSI requirements across multitiered supply networks.
• Translate regulatory changes and emerging risks into clear, prioritized controls, SOPs, and verification plans.  

• Determine supplier compliance with applicable regulations beyond FSMA/USDA in assigned categories. 

• Support implementation of department processes, standards, policies, and projects in a timely manner. 

Supplier Qualification & Ongoing Assurance 

• Build the program to establish, implement, and manage the Meijer Supplier Food Safety Standard. 

• Lead standard development, risk model development, determine the risk ranking requirements, qualification, approval, and maintenance audits of supplier facilities; oversee corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and escalation pathways.  

• Integrate food safety requirements for product and process controls within the Own Brand product specifications, collaborating with QA/Product Development; ensure claims (e.g., allergen, “gluten free”) are scientifically supported and verified.   

• Identify 3P auditing partners to facilitate desk and facility level reviews to verify supplier compliance against the Meijer Standard. This includes facility-level claims (e.g., gluten-free, allergen programs) per regulatory guidance and Meijer standards; and prerequisite programs (pest management, GMPs, allergen control, foreign material prevention, environmental monitoring, master sanitation, food fraud, preventive equipment maintenance) within supplier operations. 

• Deploy process capability and SPC programs to improve supplier reliability and reduce variability in critical parameters.  

Incident Management & Business Continuity 

• Own supplier related incident response (holds, withdrawals, recalls) including track & hold protocols, rapid risk assessment, and crisis communications; manage investigations of product or facility-related issues with suppliers; ensure effective root cause analysis and robust corrective/preventive action.

• Monitor industry-wide outbreaks/recalls and translate lessons learned into preventive changes and supplier requirements.  

• Establish and define criteria for change management to ensure safety, compliance, and business continuity.  

Cross Functional Leadership Functional Leadership 

• Partner with Own Brands/Sourcing/Merchandising/Manufacturing on supplier selection, scorecards, and performance requirements; with Own Brand/Manufacturing & Sourcing on incoming controls and