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Avena Foods is a specialty miller that partners with farmers and customers to bring safe, sustainable, nutritious oat and pulse ingredients to consumers around the globe which are non-GMO and gluten-free. We have three facilities: Regina, SK, Rowatt, SK and Portage la Prairie, MB.

In a career with Avena you can look forward to:

- Being a part of team committed to building an innovative and diverse culture
- Supporting your growth through professional development, training, and recognition programs
- Competitive compensation which includes benefit programs such as: Health, Dental, Life, Retirement Savings, Employee and Family Assistance Program and more!
- We offer additional benefits for extras! Take advantage of our Health Spending Account for additional expenses like more expensive glasses. Or the Wellness Account that covers recreational items like gym membership, running shoes, etc.

If you'd like to join a team that is collaborative, hardworking and provides opportunities for growth. Please apply.

Avena Foods is actively seeking a Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance to join our team at Portage la Prairie, MB. Reporting directly to the VP, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, this role contributes to Avena’s Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (FSQMS) for pulses ingredients at its Portage facility. The Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance works closely with Leadership Team members and leads a team responsible for the quality and safety of Avena’s food products, working with production and sales to meet Purity Protocol & customer standards, respond to customer complaints or testing inquires, and help maintain excellent customer service.

Key Responsibilities

1. Work with senior leadership team to develop and implement Food Safety Objectives and quality policies and procedures at Avena Foods

2. Manage Human Resource issues on team including staff scheduling and allocation to projects, adherence to corporate HR policies and processes, recruitment, professional development, training and coaching, staff performance (including dealing promptly with performance deficiencies), succession planning and creation of a positive and high-performance team culture

3. Develop, Implement,



Monitor and Enforce Food Safety policies and procedures for effective implementation and maintenance of all food safety & quality control programs & certifications: FSSC22000, Organic, Kosher, Non-GMO, GFCO Involved in 3rd Party Customer Audits and complete CAPAs on time.

4. Verify records that support the food safety program; ex. Temp/Humidity Control records, CCP records, OPRP’s including Kill Step Monitoring Records, Pre-op Records, GMP Audits, EB Records, QC Audits, Environmental Monitoring Program Records and take Corrective & Preventative actions if there is any deviation. Report and enter systems quality information for all corporate requirements.

5. Participate actively as a member of the Withdrawal and Food Safety Team. Lead investigations possibly related to grain quality and safety at the farm level. Propose and implement Corrective Actions and preventative measures

6. Ensure products meet regulatory and customer requirements. Help establish customer service standards and ensure quality-related standards are met. Support the sales & marketing team in various ways, including supply of information, training, response to technical inquiries, supplier approval applications, and participation in meetings and trade shows and manage relationships with quality assurance and procurement staff at customer companies. Approve labels for new customers through a label approval process. Coordinate and lead customer audits.

7. Investigate customer complaints and provide advice on claims where applicable. Investigate and write customer complaint reports, management/technical reports and customer charters as required.

8. Lead and Coordinate Food Safety Team Meetings by reporting key information to Management team and ensuring action items are closed on time. Keeping up to date with assigned tasks such as Master AP tracker, internal audits and closing Non-Conformances, Food Safety Action Items in an efficient and timely manner.

9. Train all Personnel and contractors on GMPs and key Food Safety Items and conduct on-site Annual Refresher Training.



Act as a catalyst for change and improvement in performance and quality.

10. Work in partnership with the Plant Operations to ensure effective implementation and maintenance of all quality control processes and programs (GMP, HACCP, others). Ensure GMP and Corrective actions or preventative measures are carried out, including using customer complaints to identify opportunities for improvement.

11. Lead Pest Control /Sanitation Program and effectively and efficiently address any Pest or cleaning Issues within the facility by implementing best practices.

12. Oversee the quality requirements of raw materials with suppliers including supplier approvals and processes affecting quality of incoming materials.

13. Ensure Hold & Release process is functional, rational, timely and effective. Work with the Quality Assurance personnel to make sure all required product tests are executed accurately and efficiently.

14. Propose and manage operating budgets for area of responsibility.

15. Other duties as required.

Skills:

- Solid knowledge of HACCP principles and prevalent food safety and quality standards is critical. Formal training in GFSI standards preferred

- Proficient with Excel, Word, and Power Point

- Ability to multi-task, establish priorities and follow through on them.

- Ability to foster a team-based workplace; can work independently and in as team with minimal supervision.

- Excellent interpersonal skills that enhance inter-departmental interactions; ability to work with diverse personality types

- Good logical problem-solving; Strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills.

- Ability to be concise and focus on key elements; to self-verify and ensure accuracy

- Lead by Example

- Willing to be flexible on schedule; ability to meet schedules and deadlines, including overtime as required

- Successful outcome for all Food Safety and Quality Management System audits by third party certifying bodies or customer FSQMS personnel

Qualifications:

Minimum B.Sc. or B.S.A or its equivalent in Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Food Science, or related Field.

- Employment is subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks which may include criminal record checks, education verification and reference review.

Start Date: To be discussed

Location: Portage la Prairie, MB

Apply on Kit Job: kitjob.ca/job/2k4y3s

📌 Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance - Portage la Prairie, MB
🏢 Avena Foods
📍 Portage la Prairie