Supplier Packaging Quality Engineer

The construction of fairlife's manufacturing facility in Webster, NY is underway. This state-of-the-art, 750k sq ft, greenfield plant is expected to be operational in late 2025 and will lay the foundation for fairlife's next phase of growth as the leading dairy nutrition provider. While coupling the industry's latest technologies and fairlife's operational excellence to build this world-class facility, fairlife plans to hire 250 new employees and bring in approximately 5 million lbs. of milk a day, with room to grow over the coming years.

Job Purpose

TheSupplier Packaging Quality Engineerwill be a part of the quality team within fairlife, LLC, actively managing the packaging supplier quality program. This individual will provide comprehensive quality and food safety coordination between functional managers in R&D, packaging engineering, procurement, finance, receiving, warehousing, inventory management, quality assurance, and operations. Additionally, they will develop and implement programs to ensure fairlife complies with GFSI (FSSC 22000), regulatory, and NSF standards for supplier qualification and supplier food safety quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relevant supplier specifications for all fairlife packaging suppliers, ensuring all suppliers and materials are qualified and maintained against company specifications.
• Play an active role in the qualification of new suppliers, including conducting site inspections as required.
• Utilize plant and supplier data to monitor specification performance, improve product quality, and eliminate supplier product defects.
• Maintain active documentation for packaging suppliers, including supplier questionnaires, audits, Kosher and Halal certificates, GFSI certificates, GMP programs, HACCP programs, preventive controls, allergen programs, supplier conformance to FSMA, IMS listing, supplier Food Defense programs, Local/State/Federal regulatory status, etc.
• Investigate non-conforming materials and submit samples to suppliers as necessary.
• Implement corrective action protocols for supplier quality management compliance and manage the supplier process for corrective action, preventative action, and verification of effectiveness.
• Lead cross-functional reviews of non-conformance trends and provide business updates on supplier engagements/corrective actions.
• Support the implementation of new packaging materials and verify performance and capability against specifications.
• Monitor and report on supplier non-conformities and unresolved complaints.
• Drive improvements in supplier quality plans to ensure incoming materials consistently meet all fairlife specification requirements.
• Conduct ongoing supplier inspections/audits for high-risk materials or locations as required.
• Interface with fairlife Purchasing and site Quality regarding review of supplier documentation and supplier performance.
• Review and maintain all Certificates of Analysis for packaging received by fairlife.
• Ensure all materials supplied to fairlife conform to their respective Standards of Identity and establish testing protocols, frequencies, and documentation.
• Ensure each lot of materials received by the company conforms to standards required by the company's quality assurance.
• For primary packaging, ensure requirements for lot documentation and inventory balancing are maintained.
• Own the Packaging Supply Risk Analysis within the site HACCP program and regularly monitor food safety issues relating to specific packaging, as well as monitor the supplier base to fairlife for food safety issues and risks.
• Support the incoming material inspection program to ensure compliance with food safety and quality requirements (as needed).
• With the support of local operations leadership and staff, ensure that expired and/or non-compliant materials are properly quarantined, and their dispositions are effectively determined on a timely basis.
• Provide inputs and measure supplier quality metrics (supplier scorecard).
• Perform training needs analyses and initiate, develop, and/or coordinate the implementation of specific ingredient quality training programs for operations and plant personnel.
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Skills/Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) in Engineering, Packaging, or Materials and Supply Chain Management.
• 3+ years of related Packaging or Quality experience.
• Experience with and working knowledge of packaging equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to drive supplier development.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Self-starter who can prioritize workload while meeting commitments.
• Ability to work independently.
• Expertise and proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to analyze machine efficiency and downtime data.
• Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Proficiency in English: Comfortable with both written and verbal communication, including reading and writing.

Food Safety Requirements

• Notify supervision of any repairs or adjustments that may affect product quality or food safety.
• Understand, observe, and comply with the handling and usage of the color-coded container policy while in the Production Areas.
• Perform all duties necessary to meet Company, Customer, and/or Government requirements/standards as prioritized by the Company.
• Ability to initiate action to prevent the occurrence of nonconformities relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the product, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Identify and record any problems relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the ingredients, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Control further processing or delivery of nonconforming product in terms of Food Safety and Quality issues until the deficiency or unsatisfactory condition has been corrected.
• In the event of absence, another employee with the same skill level will assume the duties and responsibilities as required.

Position Location: Webster NY

Reports To: Sr. Manager, Quality Systems

Travel Requirements: 15-30%

Exempt/Nonexempt: Exempt