At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, our American-made brands – Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s – have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life…

As a Quality Systems Manager you are responsible for managing all aspects of the Quality Management System (QMS) for Russell Stover Chocolates (RSC), encompassing Global Food Safety Initiative (FSSC 22000), Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), AIB GMP Certifications and regulatory agencies visits. Additionally, this position is responsible for managing customer compliance requirements and business compliance initiatives, including Rain Forest Alliance, Sustainability FSQA goals, and RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil).  This role reports to the Sr. Manager of Food Safety, Regulatory & Compliance.

Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities:

Quality Management System Responsibilities

• Review, improve and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) at RSC, ensuring successful surveillance and re-certification audits in our facility, partnering with all stakeholders to assure compliance with FSSC 22000, FSMA, AIB and other required standards.
• Develop, manage and review the documentation for the QMS for all policies, procedures, forms and methods.
• Lead the efforts for future certifications needed for the business, such as Rain Forest Alliance.
• Drive companywide FSSC 22000, and FSMA awareness for all employees, assuring the internal awareness for customer requirements.
• Prepare, coordinate and represent the company during 3rd party, regulatory and surveillance audits
• Perform and coordinate internal audits, conduct regular reviews and ensure internal auditors are regularly trained to comply with GFSI Standards.

Training

• Manage the Food Safety & Quality Systems training programs, ensuring the consistent and successful training of department training coordinators.
• Develop and implement the quality and food safety training program content within the RSC training system.
• Ensure the development and execution for all quality, food safety, and food safety culture training curriculums for the application across all departments and locations.

Quality Improvement Projects

• Manage the trending, archiving, and reporting of all Quality performance and corrective action data supporting compliance to GFSI, AIB and government agencies.
• Ensure compliance with AIB, FSSC, regulatory agencies and other food safety and quality standards.
• Travel to the plants is expected on a regular basis.  All plants are located in the contiguous US.  
• Support additional projects as assigned.

Do you have what it takes? 

(Basic Qualifications)

• 5+ years job specific experience required in quality, food safety and/or compliance
• Demonstrated success leading and managing cross-functional teams
• Experience in training and working with different employee levels throughout an organization.
• Successful implementation a GFSI system within a manufacturing site
• Experience writing and maintaining technical documents
• Proven knowledge of food quality/safety standards & regulatory requirements such as Preventive Controls, Food Safety Modernization, Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points, Global Food Safety Initiative.
• Working knowledge with a Global Food Safety Initiative standards, preferably FSSC 22000
• Excellent organizational, analytical & time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communications skills
• Able to manage multiple projects and multiple priorities concluded on time and on budget
• Must be results driven, detail oriented, self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Proficient working knowledge of MS Office applications as well as access databases
• Bachelor’s Degree (Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Food Science, or closely related field of study)
• Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI) and HACCP Certified (HACCP Alliance)
• Flexibility on work hours and able to work on holidays, and travel up to 30%
• Must be able to work seated or standing for at least 8 hours
• Project management and process improvement experience

Do you stand above the rest? 

(Preferred Qualifications)

• 2+ years of in-plant food manufacturing experience preferred

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.