Americas Food Safety and Quality Audits - Hub Leader

Job Location: ​Chicago​

Company description

 

Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 40,000  dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.

About the Role:

Ferrero is seeking a hands-on and strategic leader to join our Food Safety & Quality Audits (FS&QA) team in the Americas. This role is an exciting opportunity for a high-potential leader with strong plant-level experience to step up into a broader strategic function while still being actively engaged in day-to-day operations.

In this role you will oversee the execution, development, and continuous improvement of food safety and regulatory audits across Ferrero and its related companies in the Americas. Reporting to the Head of FS&QA, you will have a direct impact on Ferrero’s food safety culture by building and mentoring a team, managing audit programs, developing the Audit strategy for the Americas and collaborating closely with global and regional partners. This role is ideal for a dynamic and motivated leader looking to grow within Ferrero Group and take ownership of a key function in our food safety and quality structure. If you thrive in both strategic and hands-on environments, and want to be part of an evolving, high-performing team, we encourage you to apply!

Please note: This is an on-site position based in our Chicago offices.

Main Responsibilities:

 

• Audit Program Execution & Continuous Improvement: Manage and enhance Ferrero’s audit programs to ensure compliance with global food safety and quality standards.
• Organization Strategy: Evolve Organization strategy in alignment with Ferrero Group overall business strategy
• Hands-On Leadership: Balance strategic planning with direct involvement in plant-level activities and audits, ensuring practical solutions for compliance and quality improvement.
• People/Team Development: Recruit, train, and mentor a growing team of auditors, fostering a strong quality and compliance culture across Ferrero’s operations.
• Resource & Process Management: Optimize resource allocation to align with budgetary targets while maintaining a high standard of execution.
• Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration: Partner with key stakeholders across plants, corporate teams, and global functions to align audit strategies and share best practices.
• Regulatory & Certification Compliance: Stay ahead of regulatory changes, ensuring audit programs remain aligned with evolving industry standards and Ferrero’s quality policies.
• Travel & Site Engagement: Conduct site visits, assessments, and audits across manufacturing locations, providing hands-on support to local teams.

Who we are looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Safety, Food Science, Biology, Quality Systems, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in auditing, food safety, and quality assurance within a Confectionery, Biscuit or food manufacturer manufacturing environment
• Proven experience in leading audits and audit teams in a multi-site global organization.
• Knowledge of food safety certification standards (e.g., ISO 9001, FSSC 22000); Lead Auditor certification is a plus.
• Ability to translate high-level strategy into practical, plant-level execution, ensuring compliance while driving operational improvements.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships across all levels.
• High-level problem-solving, project management, and organizational skills.
• Willingness to travel approximately 50% initially, reducing to approximately 25-30% over time, including international travel

 

How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:

 

Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world. 

Strong analytical mind, attention to details on one hand, and ability to cooperate with employees at all levels and great organizational skills on the other, would be key to success.  Employee contribution and engagement at Ferrero is based on the individual, team and organization dimension, so you should have the abil