FSQ Microbiology Lab Manager

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands—Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Microbiology Lab Manager is responsible for leading the facility’s microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, and pathogen control programs to ensure product safety and regulatory compliance.

This role is critical in protecting Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products by proactively identifying and controlling biological risks, including pathogens such as Listeria spp., Salmonella, and other environmental contaminants.

This role serves as the technical expert on biological contamination risk, providing actionable insights to prevent contamination events and strengthen sanitation and zoning effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Ownership

• Design and manage EMP across:
  • Zones 1–4
• Determine:
  • Sampling locations
  • Frequency
  • Expansion strategies after positives
• Focus on:
  • Listeria spp.
  • Indicator organisms

Microbiological Testing & Lab Operations

• Oversee:
  • Product testing
  • Environmental swabbing
  • Water testing
• Ensure:
  • Lab accuracy and reliability
  • Equipment calibration and validation
• Maintain proper documentation and compliance

Pathogen Detection & Control Strategy

• Identify:
  • Harborage points
  • Recurring contamination areas
• Provide recommendations to:
  • Sanitation
  • FSQ
  • Operations

Data Analysis & Risk Identification

• Analyze micro data trends
• Identify:
  • Hotspots
  • Recurring risks
• Provide actionable insights—not just reports

Response to Environmental Positives

• Lead structured response to:
  • Listeria positives
• Ensure:
  • Root cause analysis
  • Deep cleaning and validation
  • Expanded sampling

Sanitation Validation Support

• Validate effectiveness through:
  • Swab data
  • ATP trends
• Identify weaknesses in sanitation execution

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with:
  • FSQ RTE Manager → contamination control
  • FSQ Raw Manager → upstream risk
  • Operations → implementation of fixes

Key Performance Metrics

• Environmental positive rate (e.g., Listeria)
• Repeat positives / harborage events
• Product microbiological compliance
• Time to resolution for positives
• EMP compliance rate
• Audit performance (micro-related findings)

Experience

• 5–10+ years in:
  • Food manufacturing microbiology or QA