Quality Assurance Supervisor - Food Manufacturing Chicago, IL Salary: $75,000-$100,000 + bonus potential
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 1st shift
Industry: Ready-to-Eat Food Production
Summary A fast-growing, Chicago-based food company is seeking a hands-on
Quality Assurance Supervisor to help build and lead quality and food safety systems in a ready-to-eat (RTE) environment. With a new shift launch and continuous expansion on the horizon, we need someone who thrives in fast-moving operations and knows how to build programs from the ground up.
You'll support the Quality Director while guiding a growing team, helping develop HACCP plans, identify gaps in current policies, and implement training, documentation, and compliance processes that meet USDA, SQF, and GFSI standards. This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and the chance to make real improvements in a fast-paced, production-driven environment.
Growth & Benefits This is a high-visibility role within a business undergoing rapid expansion, the position is designed with upward mobility in mind-with the right candidate, this can evolve into a
Quality Manager-level position as the organization grows.
- 401(k) with company match
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Career development and training opportunities
- Involved in shaping the plant's food safety foundation and building a best-in-class QA culture
Responsibilities - Provide direct guidance to the QA team, including schedule management and coaching
- Own daily quality and food safety compliance tasks, supporting SQF, USDA, and GFSI audit schemes
- Develop, revise, and implement HACCP plans and prerequisite programs to meet RTE standards
- Identify gaps in current systems and lead corrective actions through documentation, SOP creation, and training
- Partner cross-functionally to improve quality systems tied to production, sanitation, and inventory
- Lead and support internal audits, pre-op inspections, and environmental monitoring
- Serve as liaison with regulatory agencies and auditors, and respond to NR findings with proper documentation and CAPAs
- Maintain vendor assessments, manage documentation, and support recall/mock recall execution
- Translate QA materials and communications when needed (Spanish fluency strongly preferred)
- Collaborate on training for food safety, SQF, and policy changes across departments
- Assist with onboarding and documentation as the company ramps up second-shift production
Requirements - BS degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related scientific discipline is required
- Must have food experience, preferably in a RTE or USDA facility
- 2+ years of QA or food safety experience in food manufacturing
- Working knowledge of HACCP, GFSI standards (SQF preferred), and audit protocols
- Proficient in MS Office and general QA documentation systems
- Strong organizational skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to work with urgency
- Confident communicator-comfortable working with cross-functional teams and frontline employees
- Bi-lingual English / Spanish speaking is preferred
- Adaptable to a dynamic environment with evolving processes and hands-on leadership
This is not a traditional QA desk job. If you're a problem-solver, enjoy creating structure, and want to be part of building something from the ground up,
we'd love to talk. Apply today to take the next step in your food safety career.