Job Description

ABOUT CLARKSON SPECIALTY LECITHINS

Clarkson Specialty Lecithins (CSL) is a manufacturer of certified organic and non-GMO lecithins serving the food, beverage, and nutrition industries. With facilities in Illinois and Iowa, CSL operates under FSMA-compliant programs and is certified to Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards, meeting Global Food Safety Initiative benchmarks.

CSL provides lecithin ingredients to national and global brands and emerging companies. The company maintains rigorous food safety and quality systems, including HACCP plans, internal audits, and third-party certifications. Customer and supplier service, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement are integral to CSL’s operations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of comprehensive quality and food safety programs that align with Clarkson’s quality and food safety objectives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to establish product specifications and ensure adherence to manufacturing conditions and practices for all products.
• Conduct regular training sessions to enhance employees' expertise and knowledge in food quality and safety processes, procedures, and foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.
• Prepare, analyze and present regular reports to Clarkson management on quality-related activities and progress.

AUDIT LEADERSHIP, COMPLIANCE OVERSIGHT, AND FOOD SAFETY PLAN MANAGEMENT:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Clarkson’s Quality and Food Safety programs by conducting regular audits, inspections, and risk assessments to ensure CSL’s facilities, third party manufacturers, suppliers (raw materials and packaging), and finished goods comply with industry standards, customer requirements, global and domestic regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
• Partner with Plant Manager to lead and coordinate new supplier identification and approval process to optimize product portfolio, quality, innovation and cost of goods.
• Lead and manage all internal and external audits, including but not limited to SQF, AIB, and organic certifications and customer assessments.
• Lead and participate in mock recalls driving preparedness and improvement.
• Manage the non-conformance process by ensuring timely and effective implementation of root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Maintain robust document control systems and ensure company-wide adherence to SOPs, third-party audit standards, GMPs, and HACCP and FSMA requirements.
• Regularly review and update food safety documentation for accuracy and compliance with or above stated standards and requirements.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:

• Champion customer satisfaction by ensuring high-quality, food-safe products and timely resolution of customer complaints and inquiries.
• Lead root cause analysis and improvement initiatives in response to customer feedback, using structured problem-solving tools.
• Collaborate with operations, customer service, and sales teams to track and monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions, collect, analyze, and report food safety and quality complaints and trends.
• Communicate resolutions to all stakeholders, including customers, and continuously improve customer satisfaction through proactive issue resolution and trend identification.
• Support and lead customer visits to demonstrate Clarkson’s food safety and quality commitments.
• Use TraceGains and other systems to enhance supplier and vendor management.
• Maintain active memberships in quality-related associations and collaborate with external organizations to support continuous improvement initiatives and share best practices across the business.

LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT:

• Provide leadership to Clarkson's Quality and Food Safety function across the CSL facilities by coaching and developing front-line employees and driving a culture of quality, food safety, inclusion, engagement, and accountability.
• Collaborate with Plant Manager and the Sales & Business Development Manager to ensure alignment with company-wide quality objectives and promote a culture of food safety through education and policy enforcement.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND DATA-DRIVEN QUALITY MANAGEMENT:

• Manage the collection, analysis, and reporting of quality statistical data to track key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Use data to identify areas of opportunity to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and solve quality and food safety-related problems.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT:

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to support new product development and process trials and commercial efforts.
• Assist in the successful deployment of new products by documenting manufacturing procedures, validating that the operating facilities can produce new products within specifications, and ensuring all quality and food safety standards are met.
• Monitor and verify the readiness of facilities to produce new products, addressing any issues that arise to ensure a smooth and compliant product launch.

ADMINISTRATIVE / OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

• Partner with Plant Manager to manage the budget relative to quality and food safety related supplies and services across the business.
• Support the needs of the laboratory occasionally to test raw, processed, and finished goods as well as process and analyze data to verify there are no concerns. Ensure all documentation is accurately completed and submitted to ensure all products and materials received, processed and shipped meet defined expectations.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Familiarity with organic and non-gmo production systems and market-driven quality expectations.
• Deep understanding of food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, GMPs, SOPs, allergen control, traceability, and recall procedures.
• Strong working knowledge of SQF, AIB, organic certification standards, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proficient in quality management systems, statistical process control, and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Solid foundation in laboratory testing procedures and quality verification practices.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, coach staff, and cultivate a culture of accountability, food safety, and continuous improvement.
• Skilled at engaging internal and external stakeholders with clarity and professionalism.
• Experience developing and delivering training to build team capability and maintain audit readiness.
• Detail-oriented, with a high level of integrity, reliability, and professionalism.
• Self-motivated and resilient, with a consistently positive and solutions-focused approach in dynamic environments.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify trends, assess corrective actions, and drive performance improvements using data.
• Experience in corrective and preventive action processes, and risk-based decision making.
• Competent in applying basic statistical tools to monitor process control and validate improvements.
• Adept at managing multiple projects and priorities with precision and timeliness in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proficiency in managing supplier and vendor compliance through digital tools.
• Skilled in maintaining structured documentation systems to ensure ongoing compliance with third-party and internal standards.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information to diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead discussions, resolve issues, and represent the company in audits, customer engagements, and industry settings.
• Highly responsive and service-oriented, with a focus on building trust and transparency.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Comfortable learning and applying digital systems for supplier and product traceability, audit preparation, and quality documentation.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, food safety, microbiology, chemistry or closely related field is required. A combination of education, training and relevant work experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully perform the responsibilities of this role may be considered in lieu of a specific degree.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in quality and food safety management, preferably within the food, ingredient manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods industry. Experience in a facility producing organic, non-GMO, or clean-label products is a strong plus.
• Strong understanding of food safety systems, including FSMA, SQF, HACCP, GMP, and GFSI-aligned standards.
• SQF Practioner, FSSC 22000, PCQI, Food Defense and HACCP certifications are highly desirable.
• Experience in food and beverage ingredient applications is highly desirable, particularly in supporting product development, formulation, or process validation involving functional ingredients like lecithin.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to travel 10-15% of the time (domestic) to customer sites, toll manufacturers, quality and customer related conferences and supplier locations.
• Able to respond flexibly and in a timely manner to unplanned food safety events, if required.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Clarkson Specialty Lecithins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The company is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified applicants and employees are treated with respect and dignity, regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. CSL believes diverse perspectives strengthen the team and enrich the company’s work.

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