Senior Manufacturing Quality Assurance Specialist

Position Overview

The Corporate Quality Assurance Specialist supports Daisy's product quality standards across our supplier network and manufacturing facilities. This role leads continuous improvement initiatives, conducts supplier and farm audits, evaluates new vendors, and provides operational guidance on quality issues. This role requires a high level of independence, sound judgment, and the ability to make informed decisions in field environments.

Travel is typically 25-40%.

Role Responsibilities

Quality Improvement and Data Analysis

• Review product quality data and trending analysis to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Analyze customer and food service product complaint data to assist plants with root-cause identification and corrective actions.
• Apply statistical process control principles to ensure compliance with ingredient and packaging specifications.
• Maintain and update product specifications, laboratory methods, and related quality documentation.

Supplier, Farm, and Facility Oversight

• Conduct supplier, farm, plant, and cold storage audits to verify compliance with Daisy quality and food safety standards.
• Lead supplier improvement efforts related to milk, cream, and other key raw materials.
• Evaluate and qualify potential suppliers (e.g., dairy, fruit, cold storage) through data review, facility assessments, and process verification.
• Coordinate product and packaging sample collection from internal plants for review and testing.

Operational Support and Issue resolution

• Provide expertise to address quality- or food-safety-related deviations tied to key process indicators.
• Support facility problem-solving activities using established corrective action processes.
• Review and approve proposed changes to product specifications, processes, and laboratory methods.
• Manage change control processes for material qualification, including label review and approval workflows.

Cross-Functional and Continuous Improvement Work

• Partner with the purchasing team and other internal groups as needed to align on quality initiatives and supplier expectations.
• Participate in cross-functional projects to implement and strengthen food safety and quality programs.
• Contribute to the standardization and documentation of procedures and processes across the organization.
• Perform additional project work as needed.

Job Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, or a related discipline.
• HACCP training or certification.
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) for Human Food.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in food manufacturing, food science, or quality assurance.
• Experience with statistical process control, data analysis, trend evaluation, and quality system documentation.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and statistical software (ex. JMP).
• Ability to travel 25-40% depending on business needs.

Preferred Experience

• Experience conducting supplier, plant, or farm audits.
• Knowledge of GFSI-benchmarked schemes such as SQF.
• Dairy-related industry experience (milk, cream, or dairy processing).

Professional Skills and Work Style Expectations

• Able to work with a high degree of independence and make decisions based on data, risk assessment, and established standards.
• Skilled in presenting observations, findings, and recommendations in a clear and structured manner to internal and external partners.
• Effective at navigating discussions with suppliers, farms, and facility personnel to ensure alignment with Daisy's expectations.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple assignments and follow through to completion.
• Comfortability operating in field-based environments, including supplier facilities, farms, and manufacturing plants.

For five generations spanning over a century, Daisy Brand has been a family-owned company committed to providing the freshest, most wholesome dairy products. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas with manufacturing facilities in Garland, Texas (1998), Casa Grande, Arizona (2008), and Wooster, Ohio (2015).

Daisy is the market leader in two billion-dollar categories, sour cream and cottage cheese, and generates over half a billion in revenues annually. Daisy Sour Cream represents 1 out of every 2 sour cream purchases in the United States and is the largest sour cream brand in food service, military, and club. It is recognized by consumers for A Dollop of Daisy, a tagline that put this once small brand on the map. Daisy Cottage Cheese is America's #1 cottage cheese brand and continues to bring new consumers into the category with its innovative single serve packaging and consistent high quality. Daisy recently expanded into a new category with the launch of two dip products and is in the process of expanding distribution.

Daisy's core values, Clean and Trust, resonate in all aspects of our business operations. In 2008, the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals awarded Daisy the prestigious American Business Ethics award.

While maintaining a strong culture of curious and innovative problem-solvers, Daisy Brand has more than doubled employment over the last 15 years and is continuing to grow. Currently, we are proud to employ over 650 full-time staff across more than 25 states throughout the United States.

At Daisy Brand, we value longevity and aim to foster a working environment where employees can envision a long-term career. Companywide, the average employee tenure stands at over seven years. Our corporate office and sales team each boast an average tenure exceeding eleven years, while our manufacturing facilities also demonstrate strong employee retention with tenures averaging over seven years.

Daisy Brand offers an industry leading benefits package that includes:

• A no-deductible, $0 premium option for employee-only health coverage.
• 401(k) with 50% company match on first 8% of earnings you contribute.
• Safe harbor and profit-sharing company contributions to 401(k).
• Company paid short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Company paid 2X annual salary life and AD&D insurance.
• 4 weeks annual paid time off.
• 20 floating holiday hours and 6 company paid holidays.
• Extra time off for volunteering.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Fitness membership reimbursement.
• And more

Daisy Brand is a nicotine-free company. Daisy Brand is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans and disabled encouraged to apply.