Quality Control Manager

Description

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery – Menomonie

Starting Salary: $80,000 annually

The final salary offer will be based on the selected candidate’s background and experience. 

Are you passionate about food safety, quality, and developing strong teams? Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is looking for a Quality Control Manager to lead our quality and food safety programs in a dairy manufacturing environment.

In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on product quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. You’ll lead and develop Quality Control personnel, partner with teams across the facility, and help ensure our products consistently meet the high standards our customers expect.

If you’re a hands-on quality leader who enjoys solving problems, developing people, and driving results, we’d love to hear from you!

Reports To: Quality Assurance & Product Development Manager

Supervises: Hourly Quality Control Staff

Position Type: Exempt

What You’ll Do

Lead and Develop Your Team

• Lead, coach, and develop Quality Control and laboratory team members, helping them build their skills and succeed.
• Create a positive, team-oriented environment where accountability, collaboration, food safety, and quality are priorities.
• Coordinate daily staffing, laboratory testing, inspections, and quality control activities.

Protect Food Safety and Product Quality

• Oversee the sampling, inspection, testing, and monitoring of raw materials, packaging, in-process products, and finished goods.
• Maintain and improve food safety and quality programs, including HACCP, Preventive Controls, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, sanitation verification, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Ensure products and processes meet applicable FDA, FSMA, USDA, Wisconsin regulatory, SQF/GFSI, customer, and company requirements.
• Oversee product holds and releases, nonconforming products, customer complaints, and quality investigations to ensure concerns are addressed appropriately.

Lead Audits and Maintain Compliance

• Coordinate and lead regulatory, customer, certification, and third-party audits, from preparation through follow-up.
• Conduct internal audits and facility inspections, identify opportunities to strengthen compliance, and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Maintain accurate quality documentation, procedures, product specifications, and records.

Solve Problems and Drive Continuous Improvement

• Review quality data and trends to identify risks, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to prevent issues from recurring.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, Supply Chain, and other teams to resolve quality concerns and improve processes.
• Communicate quality performance, potential risks, and recommended actions to leadership.
• Support initiatives that strengthen food safety, improve product consistency, reduce waste, and enhance operational performance.

Requirements

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in quality and food safety within food and/or dairy manufacturing.
• Required PCQI and HACCP certifications.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, GMPs, sanitation, Preventive Controls, laboratory testing, and quality management systems.
• Experience leading, coaching, or developing employees.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis, risk assessment, and corrective action management.
• Excellent communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to analyze quality data, identify trends, and make informed decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality documentation or management systems.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

You’ll work throughout our dairy manufacturing facility, including production, laboratory, warehouse, and office areas. This hands-on role involves regular interaction with production teams and equipment in an environment that may include varying temperatures, noise, wet conditions, and cleaning chemicals.

To be successful in this role, you’ll need the ability to:

• Stand and walk throughout the facility for extended periods.
• Bend, twist, stoop, reach, and climb stairs as needed.
• Operate a computer, laboratory equipment, and other job-related tools.
• Lift, carry, and move up to 50 pounds.
• Meet applicable visual acuity and color perception requirements.

Employment is contingent upon successfully completing the required background check and drug and alcohol screening, consistent with company policy.

Benefits

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:  

• Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage. 
• Benefits eligibility on the first of the month following 30 days of employment.
• Health Savings Account (HSA), accident, and critical illness coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and additional free resources.
• 401k match, paid time off, and holiday pay.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Career growth and advancement opportunities.

Why Join Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery?

At Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, quality is about more than meeting standards. It’s about taking pride in our craft, supporting our teammates, and delivering products our customers can trust.

As our Quality Control Manager, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Make a meaningful impact on food safety, product quality, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and lead a team while helping build a strong culture of accountability and collaboration.
• Work across the organization with teams who share responsibility for producing quality products.
• Take ownership of programs and processes that support our customers and the long-term success of our business.

If you’re ready to bring your quality expertise and leadership skills to a role where your work makes a difference every day, apply today!

About Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

At Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, our team members are more than employees -  you're family, and we want you to succeed. This culture has contributed to the longevity of our staff, whose careers at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery span 10, 20 and even 50 years.  Our Menomonie, Wisconsin production facility manufacturers several varieties of small-batch artisan cheese, including our award-winning Red Rind Muenster, Wisconsin Brick and Hot Pepper Jack.  

Committed to our Team, Craft & Community, Since 1910. 

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.