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, 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 the Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor) you will be responsible for all and quality related initiatives, with a primary focus on production, warehousing, and logistic operations of the Russell Stover Chocolate site. This includes developing, implementing, and monitoring programs to manage and improve product quality, as well as supervising all QA Technicians on all shifts. You will also responsible for leading the Daily QA PCS, and for supporting the FS&Q Manager on related initiatives.

What you will be doing…

• Maintain and implement quality standards and procedures to meet Russell Stover Standards. Conduct process and procedure audits and implement corrective actions to ensure compliance.
• Perform inspections on packaging materials, semi-finished and finished products, and in case of deviations, lead improvement initiatives, partnering with other departments such as Procurement, Operations, Industrial Performance, Research and Development.
• Responsible for making impromptu decisions regarding manufacturing defects, packaging defects, and overall quality issues that arise daily, providing daily and weekly reports to management.
• Partner with all stakeholders in the management of potential (product or process) non-conformances, including but not limited to, isolating, and securing potentially non-conforming product, following HOLD procedures, investigating the issue, providing a disposition, and documenting the entire process for traceability.
• Support QA department on meeting all standards and requirements including AIB, FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act), local and federal regulations as well as the industry’s best practices.

• Cross training in the related Quality positions to assist in backshift receiving and analytical activities, as well as supporting quality and food safety functions, providing quality training to other departments.
• Maintain systems for all inspection/audit records and ensure all product information remains accurate, complete, consistent, and timely.
• Document and communicate quality issues, trend analysis, and provide corrective action for the resolution of quality issues.
• Responsible for supervising, coaching, and developing all QA Technicians in all shifts.

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• Minimum 3 years of experience in Food Safety & Quality experience in a food production environment.
• Strong people management skills. Ability to lead, coach and mentor direct reports.
• Proficient in MS Office applications and productivity tools
• Working knowledge of regulatory and quality system requirements – Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001), AIB, HACCP, Good Manufacturing Process (GMP).
• Statistical Process Control
• Strong problem solving/trouble shooting skills. Use of continuous improvement tools such as Failure Mode and Defect Analysis (FMDA), Root Cause Analysis and project management
• Understanding of sanitation and related practices
• Solid understanding of a production/manufacturing environment
• Strong auditing / assessment skills
• Able to manage multiple projects and multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, and detail oriented

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• BS degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Nutrition, Biology, or related field (Or an equivalent combination of education and experience)
• Formal training in basic to intermediary food safety/regulatory, and Preventive Control Certified Individual (PCQI)

What it’s like at the Russell Stover Plants

• Safety. Your safety is important to us, so we provide protective gear. We also go through an in-depth Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training on your first day and continue to share safety tips daily.
• Surroundings. You’ll be working around different machines – Schubert’s, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and chocolate candy banks/steels.
• Activity. Some activities may require standing in one place for long periods, walking around, or climbing stairs/ladders, and routinely lifting 50 lbs.
• Temperature. You will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment. Our temperatures are consistently around 63°F but could fluctuate depending on your specific role.
• Smell. You will enjoy a variety of deliciously sweet aromas and you may end your day smelling like chocolate!
• Dress code. Relaxed, with a few rules to follow for food safety, personal safety and in guidance with our good manufacturing practices (GMP). Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are required. Leather, imitation leather, rubber boots or shoes must be worn in the kitchen and other areas when working around hot liquid/product or hot water.

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.

Make Happy. Work Happy.