Hiring for a one year contract (with possiblity of extension) with start date Nov 1, 2026.
Company Description: Mary Macleod’s Shortbread is a third-generation, women-owned, family-owned bakery known for its handcrafted, small-batch, all-butter shortbread cookies. Since opening Canada’s first shortbread bakery in 1981, the company has maintained an uncompromising commitment to quality and the use of simple, premium ingredients. The culture emphasizes inclusivity, joy, and pride in craft, welcoming team members who value authenticity and attention to detail.
PURPOSE: The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving the company's Food Safety and Quality Assurance System to ensure products consistently meet regulatory, customer and company food safety and quality requirements. Reporting to the Director of Administration and Compliance, this role leads the day-to-day activities of the Quality department, serves as the company's lead representative during third-party, customer, and regulatory audits. This role partners with Operations creating Food Safety and Quality Standards to ensure the Operations team executes and follows them producing safe, legal, authentic and high-quality products.
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
· Ensure food safety, legality, authenticity, quality, food defense, and customer requirements are incorporated into applicable programs and processes
· Lead investigation, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and verification of effectiveness for quality and food safety issues
· Use data, mathematics, statistics, and trend analysis to identify risks, measure performance, investigate issues, and support sound operational decisions
· Provide Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) oversight of co-manufacturers and co-producers, including approval, performance monitoring, documentation review, audits/assessments, corrective actions, and ongoing compliance
· Plan, coordinate, and lead internal audits and support/lead customer, certification, regulatory, and other external audits
· Lead the development, implementation, validation, verification, and improvement of FSQA programs, procedures, standards, and records
· Provide QA/QC leadership across production, including monitoring, verification, product quality, process controls, and disposition of non-conforming product
· Own and administer the BRCGS Food Safety program, ensuring the system is implemented, maintained, reviewed, and continually improved
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS:
· Accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of QA records, reports, data analysis, and trending
· Co-manufacturer and co-producer QA/QC performance and compliance
· Timely identification, investigation, and resolution of quality and food safety issues
· Completion and effectiveness of validation, verification, and monitoring activities
· QA/QC performance against established standards, specifications, and KPIs
· Audit performance, timely closure of corrective actions, and effectiveness of corrective actions
· BRCGS program compliance, effectiveness, and continual improvement
· Quarterly Rock(s) planning and completion
· Accountability fulfillment and ownership
· Living company values
Leadership
· Lead the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Food Safety/Quality teams
· Partner with Operations, Production, Purchasing, Sales/Customer Service, and other departments to resolve issues and improve processes
· Build a culture of food safety, quality, accountability, continual improvement, and data-driven decision making
· Act as a primary company leader during third-party certification, customer, and other external audits
· Lead the QA function and provide clear direction, priorities, expectations, and accountability
Functional Role
· Review QA/QC records for completeness, accuracy, trends, and compliance; identify opportunities for improvement
· Oversee QA/QC activities on the production line and verify that established standards and controls are being followed
· Provide QA input into new raw materials, products, process changes, equipment changes, specifications, labels, suppliers, and production improvements
· Maintain effective controls for product release, holds, non-conforming product, rework, corrective action, and disposition
· Develop and monitor quality KPIs and provide meaningful trend analysis and reporting to management
· Conduct or oversee investigations into deviations, complaints, non-conforming product, process failures, and recurring quality issues
· Use mathematical and analytical methods to evaluate process capability, trends, variation, test results, quality data, and production performance
· Lead validation and verification activities, including defining objectives, methods, acceptance criteria, data requirements, conclusions, and follow-up actions
· Establish and maintain appropriate product, process, and quality standards and monitoring requirements
· Develop, implement, maintain, and improve QA/QC procedures, standards, specifications, forms, monitoring programs, and records
· Administer the BRCGS Food Safety program, including document control, program review, internal audit, corrective action, management review inputs, and continual improvement
People Role
· Promote a collaborative, respectful, accountable, and improvement-focused team environment.
· Develop team competency in food safety, quality, GMPs, documentation, inspection, sampling, and problem solving
· Establish clear expectations for QA team and ensure adequate coverage for production, audits, verification activities, and other QA requirements
· Recruit, train, coach, develop, and performance-manage QA personnel as applicable
Financial Role
· Support cost-of-quality analysis and use data to identify opportunities to reduce waste, rework, complaints, and quality-related losses
· Review and provide input on laboratory testing, audit, certification, calibration, training, consulting and other QA-related expenditures
· Manage the QA function within approved budgets and identify opportunities to improve cost effectiveness without compromising food safety, legality, or quality
Other Duties
· Perform other duties and special projects as assigned
Skills
· Ability to work effectively in a production environment and make sound decisions under time pressure
· Ability to communicate effectively with Team Members at all levels, suppliers, co-manufacturers/co-producers, customers, auditors, and management
· Strong mathematical, analytical, statistical, and problem-solving skills
· Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office/Excel
· Strong documentation, report writing, record review, and organizational skills
· Ability to analyze data, identify trends and variation, and translate findings into practical actions
· Strong audit skills, including internal auditing, audit preparation, interviewing, evidence review, non-conformance assessment, corrective action, and follow-up
· Strong knowledge of BRCGS Food Safety requirements and practical experience administering a food safety management system
· Strong understanding of QA/QC principles, food manufacturing processes, GMPs, HACCP, validation, verification, root cause analysis, and continual improvement
Personal Traits
· Committed to continuous learning and improvement
· Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority
· Proactive, practical, and solutions-oriented
· Analytical and curious, with a focus on understanding root causes rather than treating symptoms
· Highly organized, detail-oriented, and accountable
· Demonstrates the company values: Be Brave, Raise the Bar, Own It, and Win or Learn
Education/Training, Credentials and Experience
· Experience overseeing co-manufacturers, co-packers, co-producers, or external production partners from a QA/QC perspective is strongly preferred
· Experience with validation and verification studies, data analysis, root cause analysis, and CAPA
· Training in HACCP, internal auditing required; BRCGS auditor training and/or other relevant food safety credentials preferred
· Experience leading internal audits and participating in or leading third-party, customer, and regulatory audits
· Demonstrated experience administering and improving a BRCGS or comparable GFSI-recognized food safety management system
· Several years of progressive experience in QA/QC within a food manufacturing environment
· Post-secondary education in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline preferred
WORK ENVIRONMENT & EXPECTATIONS:
· Smells include butter, sugar, chocolate, maple syrup, nuts. Must be free from allergies to any of these product
· Flexibility to work days, nights, and weekends if needed (frequently happens September - December)
· Ability to work and stand for long hours - approximately three (3) consecutive hours of standing
· Ability to lift up to 25 lbs on a regular basis
· Manual dexterity for forming, packing and accenting cookies is required
· Temperatures that may be considered above “room temperature” and not to exceed 26C
· Intermittent loud sounds lasting approximately 20 minutes at a time throughout the day (compressor machinery). Ear protection is provided when on the loading dock
HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL EMPLOYEES:
· Report any health and safety concerns
· Understand and follow Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) programs
· FSQA program activities as assigned (ex: logs, reports, meetings)
· Report any food safety, legality, quality or food defense concerns
· Follow health and safety program, reporting any concerns
This position is at our production site at 80 Galaxy Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. You must be able to work on site.
We accommodate the needs of job applicants throughout its recruitment and selection processes in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If we contact you about an opportunity, please let us know if you require accommodation.
