Essential Functions:

• Oversees the development, maintenance, implementation and execution of policies, procedures and work instructions for Store Operation food safety, sanitation, regulatory and supplier compliance related activity.  Ensures updates are adequately communicated to stakeholders, trained against,  and  accessible via appropriate avenues (e.g., Intranet).

• Owns the execution of risk assessments and development of necessary Preventive Controls/Food Safety Plans for all activity executed within Stores, including, but not limited to, standard operations, processing activity, and new concept delivery.  Drives compliance to applicable regulations (e.g., Food Safety Modernization Act, FDA Food Code) through these activities. 

• Leads the investigation of Store quality, product safety and regulatory issues arising from stores, regulators and/or customers.  Support store operations with implementation of corrective actions  and procedure improvements to resolve issues, assessing business-wide practices for opportunities to implement broad improvements to reduce repeat occurrences.

• Owns the strategy, development, and execution of food safety assessments, certifications, and or audits with appropriate stakeholders to maintain regulatory and customer expectation compliance.  

• Leads food safety risk mitigation across the Stores, identifying and reducing risk by implementation of food safety and food defense strategies in collaboration with risk management, internal audit, and operations leadership.

• Responsible for overseeing (and contributing to) food safety, quality and sanitation training materials and programs.  Partners with Human Resources and Store Leadership to establish appropriate delivery methods and compliance monitoring.  Provides consultative support and direction to Store Leadership when assessing new product concepts, new store concepts, and remodels to ensure food safety, quality and sanitation objectives are considered and achieved.

• Collaborates with the broader FSQA Team to develop vendor approval strategies and internal programs to protect private brand product quality and ensure food safety quality compliance. 

• Conducts Store onsite visits and/or virtual assessments  as needed , with store, regional and field leadership in support of ongoing compliance, training, coaching and mentoring of food safety best practices.  

• Provides onsite support, as needed, for new facility, product or concept launches and/or remodels, collaborating with regional and field leadership to ensure food safety practices are understood and trained on.  

• Manage research and interpretation of regulations, quality standards and industry best practices related to food safety and food handling; act as primary conduit between internal and external legal counsel and internal stakeholders, as needed.  Oversees development of strategies to achieve organizational compliance, while meeting business objectives.

• Collaborates with Store Facilities and Indirect Procurement to maintain relevant and robust pest control programs and services.

• Provides consultative support to Store Category Management related to product labeling; engages internal or external expertise as needed to close knowledge gaps.

• Establishes and reports food safety and quality key performance indicators and drives continuous improvement to them.

• Lead and direct retail and wholesale industry collaboration and outreach activities with internal and external regulatory functions, academic institutions, and other industry partners and experts to ensure access to the latest science, technology, and regulatory information and resources.

• Owns the Store recall process, collaborating with the broader food safety team, to implement a process that supports end to end compliance of regulatory, business and customer expectations.  Leads recall process improvements for Stores.

• Shares responsibility for executing product recalls both during and after business hours and on weekends.  This includes managing the entire recall process, from product isolation to customer communication, in addition to any follow-up communication with regulatory agencies

• Develops departmental goals that support current and growing business needs and continued development of key processes.  Monitors goal progress and assists with driving necessary attention to ensure goals are met within defined timelines.

• Develops capital and operational budget for the department in collaboration with Store Leadership and finance.  Routinely monitors, manages and controls budget, analyzes variances and takes appropriate action and develops plans for productivity improvements.

• Interviews, hires, trains, and retains staff.  Conducts performance monitoring of staff, initiating follow through with disciplinary action and termination in consultation with Human Resources when appropriate for the department.  Mentors, motivates, and develops staff and serves as a role model and resources