Quality Assurance Manager – Food Manufacturing – Up to $180k + Super
Western Sydney | $150,000 – $180,000 + Super | Monday–Friday | 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm
Lead Quality. Drive Food Safety. Build High-Performing Teams.
Are you an experienced Quality Assurance Manager ready to take ownership of quality and food safety within a large-scale, high-volume food manufacturing environment?
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the QA function for a well-established industry leader in Western Sydney, overseeing quality across multiple production lines and two manufacturing shifts.
With a strong focus on food safety, compliance, continuous improvement and people leadership, this is a genuine opportunity for an experienced QA professional to make a significant impact on site.
What’s on offer?
- $150,000 – $180,000 + Super, depending on experience
- True leadership position with 7 direct/indirect reports
- Lead 2 QA Supervisors and 5 QA/QC Officers
- Monday to Friday, generally 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm
- Free onsite parking
- Opportunity to lead the QA function across a large-scale manufacturing operation
- High-profile retail customer and audit exposure
About the Role
Reporting into senior technical/operations leadership, you will oversee the QA and QC function across both manufacturing shifts:
- Morning shift: 5am–1pm
- Afternoon shift: 2pm–10pm
Your role will sit between these shifts, providing leadership, support and accountability across the entire QA function.
You will be a hands-on leader who is comfortable being on the production floor, working closely with Operations and the wider site leadership team. This is not an office-based, "ivory tower" QA role — your ability to influence, coach and drive standards on the floor will be critical to your success.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach and develop a team of QA and QC professionals across both shifts
- Build a strong culture of food safety, quality, accountability and continuous improvement
- Maintain and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, FSANZ and relevant certification requirements
- Lead BRC and SQF audits, ensuring the site remains audit-ready
- Manage and prepare for major customer audits, including ALDI, Woolworths and Coles
- Act as a key point of contact for external auditors and regulatory bodies
- Oversee QA verification, validation, testing, traceability and documentation
- Investigate quality issues, conduct root cause analysis and implement effective CAPA
- Monitor quality KPIs, customer complaints, non-conformances and trends
- Work closely with Production, Engineering, Safety, Warehouse, Procurement and other stakeholders
- Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities across quality and manufacturing processes
- Develop team capability through coaching, training and skills development
- Ensure quality and food safety standards are embedded into day-to-day production activities
- Support a strong "safety first" culture across the site
About You
You will be an experienced QA leader who understands the realities of working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and can earn the respect of both your team and operational stakeholders.
You will ideally have:
- Proven experience in a QA Manager or equivalent senior quality leadership role
- Strong experience within food manufacturing/FMCG
- Meat processing experience highly regarded
- A Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology or a related discipline
- Strong knowledge of HACCP and food safety systems
- Experience leading BRC and/or SQF audits
- Experience with major retailer/customer audits, ideally including ALDI, Woolworths and Coles
- Strong understanding of Quality Management Systems
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing QA teams
- Strong root cause analysis, CAPA and continuous improvement capability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- The confidence to work closely with Operations and influence at all levels
- A practical, hands‑on approach to leadership
Pharmaceutical/GMP backgrounds will also be considered for candidates with strong transferable quality management experience.
The Environment
You will be working within a large-scale, high-volume food manufacturing facility processing and packaging fresh and value-added meat products.
The site operates across multiple production lines, with chilled manufacturing areas, cold storage and distribution functions. The environment is fast-paced and highly regulated, with strict food safety, quality and customer requirements.
Please note: candidates must be comfortable working within a pork/meat manufacturing environment.
Why This Role?
This is an opportunity to step into a genuine leadership position where you will have ownership of the site's QA function and the opportunity to influence culture, systems, people and performance.
If you're a quality leader who enjoys being on the floor, developing people and driving standards rather than simply maintaining them, we'd love to hear from you.
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