Senior Technical Services Manager

Description

• Serve as the primary customer contact for technical questions related to product attributes, specifications, and regulatory inquiries.
• Assist with process and product standardization across US Industrial Spices plants.
• Manage and continuously improve Technical and Regulatory documentation for ofi US Industrial Spices facilities and products including but not limited to Onion, Garlic, Capsicum, IQF, DHB and Redi-made Puree product lines.
• Develop and maintain Key Performance Indicators to continuously assess the effectiveness of the Technical Documentation, Specification Review, and other associated processes for ofi Industrial Spices.  Proactively seek customer feedback on opportunities for improvement in these areas.
• Develop and implement a future state vision to automate common technical documentation delivery to customers.
• Serve as the administrator for Tracegains, ReposiTrak, FoodLogiQ, FoodchainID, and all other applicable customer portals. 
• Manage the Non-GMO Project, Halal, Kosher, Gluten Free, and Organic Certifications.
• Conduct/assist with plant-level audits to ensure adherence to Non-GMO Project, Halal, Kosher, Gluten Free, and Organic requirements.
• Manage annual testing programs for Pesticides, Heavy Metals, Mycotoxins, and other analytes of global regulatory importance.  Assess annual testing data for acceptability against domestic and global regulatory requirements.
• Manage, Coach, and Develop direct reports.  Ensure applicable global technical documentation resources are cross trained for all product lines.
• Create SOP’s and detailed Work Instructions for all Technical Services activities.
• Service as the primary contact for Specification negotiation and finalization with Customers.  Coordinate with Materials Planning and Product Line Management to take a data driven approach to assessing specification changes and the ability to consistently deliver on proposed requirements throughout the entire crop cycle.
• Ensure specification updates are clearly communicated to applicable teams and ensure appropriate updates in SAP are transferring to downstream functions (Contracting, Materials Planning, Allocation).
• Develop and maintain systems of record for annual customer specification endorsements.
• Ability to understand, interpret and apply current regulations, domestic and global, and serve as the functional expert on global regulatory changes impacting the US Industrial Spices business.  Maintain visibility to upcoming regulations and the impacts on annual testing programs and needs.
• Assist with the timely investigation and response to applicable customer complaints, issues and concerns.  Lead Root Cause analysis and develop corrective actions for applicable customer complaints.
• Assist with the review of raw materials to assure adherence to applicable regulatory requirements.
• Attend Regulatory workshops and industry association meetings as needed.
• Ensure compliance with procedures and requirements as outlined/agreed to in Customer Quality Expectation Manuals and Contracts.

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, or a related field with a Masters’s degree preferred.  Significant experience may be considered in lieu of education.  
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in Technical Services/Quality Assurance, R&D & manufacturing in Food Industry is required.  Fifteen years (15) of experience in these areas preferred.
• Global Food Safety Initiate (GFSI) program lead auditor and Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) Trained is highly desirable.
• Experience in Operating with SAP enterprise business system and exposure to vendor quality management is preferred.
• Proven ability to interact effectively with department, company or customer associates and experience in a team-oriented environment is required.
• Ability to work with a varied group of associates with Food scientists, Engineers, Agriculture experts, Planning, Customer Operations, Sales, in a collaborative environment will be critical for this position.
• Agility to multitask with Customer Requests, Regulatory Agency Requirements, Sales Initiatives, R&D, and Quality initiatives as required.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and excellent analytical and problem- solving skills are required.  This role will be directly customer-facing and serve as a representative of ofi to the customer.