Manager, Quality Assurance

Your opportunity as the Corporate Quality Assurance Manager - Fruit:

At Smucker, manufacturing is at the heart of our mission to deliver food people love. This role is critical to ensuring our fruit supply and fruit processing plants consistently meet our high standards for food safety and quality, as well as regulatory and customer requirements. You will lead quality assurance efforts across three fruit processing facilities, balancing strategic oversight with hands-on project execution. From supplier approval, compliance and quality system management to cold storage, transportation issues, to delivery and processing into JJP facilities and finished items at specified facilities. This role supports the fruit processing facilities, Grandview, Oxnard and includes the main JJP facility, Orrville, OH, with their Quality goals, systems, and regulatory compliance efforts. Success in this role requires adaptability, attention to detail, and the ability to lead through influence.

Work Arrangements:

• Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 9 days a month, primarily during core weeks as determined by the Company; maybe more as business need requires
• Flexibility: Ability to work outside core hours and travel to support plant operations.

• Travel - up to 65% travel annually including international travel

In this role, you will:

• Lead approval process and qualifications for new fruit suppliers, including but not limited to TraceGains documentation review, new specification development in prodika, audits, communication of JMS Quality Policy Expectation, potential on site visits, communication to receiving site and working closely with Procurement, TSO and R&D on expectations.
• Maintain strategic and collaborative relationships with fruit suppliers including but not limited to audits, pack season visits, pack season reviews, Corrective Action Requests, specification compliance and current or new expectations.
• Coach and manage the fruit processing facilities in achieving quality goals, processing challenges, improvement projects and quality functions. This includes oversight and guidance for field fruit programs, supplier incoming fruit, outgoing specification compliance and meeting all Quality Policy requirements and plant quality goals.
• Coach and manage the JJP processing facility with incoming raw materials from external and internal supply challenges. Oversight and guidance for outgoing specification compliance and meeting quality goals, processing challenges, improvement projects and quality functions.
• Ensure JMS quality expectations as well as regulatory agency requirements are met throughout the entire supply chain.

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• A bachelor's degree
• 5+ years progressive quality and food safety experience
• 2 years of experience in manufacturing setting
• Demonstrated high level of organizational skills and ability
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance, food manufacturing, packaging, processing and distribution; USDA, HACCP, FDA FSMA, GFSI (BRCGS)
• Proven ability to develop written tools, policies, and SOPs
• Demonstrated ability with continuous improvement
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional & team-oriented environment with multiple disciplines while providing leadership through influence rather than authority

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, Agriculture or related scientific field
• Strong quantitative and qualitative assessment skills, critical thinking skills and the ability to constructively challenge ideas and assumptions
• Proven capabilities in project management with ability to lead multiple and concurrent projects
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (human food) or HACCP experience
• Takes initiative, manages time effectively, and is motivated to achieve goals without constant oversight. You're proactive in identifying opportunities and solving problems independently
• Thrives in a dynamic environment and is comfortable navigating change. Whether it's shifting priorities or new technologies, you remain flexible and focused
• This role requires ability to quickly and effectively evaluate limited data for informed decision-making capability
• Supply Quality experience preferred
• Previous experience in agriculture
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred, or agreement to attain Spanish language skills