Director of Food Safety and Supplier Assurance

Position SummaryLead the company's food safety, supplier assurance, food defense, and regulatory compliance programs across a global supplier network. Serve as the senior technical authority, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing supplier risk, protecting consumers, supporting business growth, and maintaining customer confidence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Food Safety & Supplier Assurance team.
• Manage supplier approval, qualification, audit, and performance programs.
• Oversee food safety, food defense, traceability, recall, and corrective action processes.
• Ensure compliance with CFIA/SFCR, FDA, FSMA, and FSVP requirements.
• Evaluate food safety and supply chain risks associated with suppliers, products, and sourcing initiatives.
• Partner with Procurement, Operations, Sales, and Executive Leadership to provide technical guidance and risk-based recommendations.
• Lead responses to food safety incidents, regulatory issues, customer concerns, and supplier non-conformances.
• Support customer, certification, internal, and regulatory audits.
• Establish KPIs, reporting metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance quality systems and supplier performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, customers, regulators, and industry stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Food Safety, Supplier Quality, Regulatory Compliance, or Quality Assurance leadership.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, Preventive Controls, Supplier Assurance, Traceability, Recall Management, CAPA, and Risk Assessment.
• Thorough understanding of CFIA/SFCR, FDA, FSMA, and FSVP regulations.
• Experience leading supplier qualification, auditing, and compliance programs.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and make sound risk-based decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within food importing, ingredient sourcing, food distribution, trading, brokerage, or supply chain quality environments.
• Professional certifications such as PCQI, HACCP, SQF Practitioner, BRCGS, ASQ, or similar.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A strategic food safety leader with deep regulatory expertise, strong supplier quality management experience, and a track record of leading teams and influencing stakeholders across complex global supply chains. Able to balance consumer protection, regulatory compliance, and commercial objectives while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.