FSQA Manager Recruiters
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No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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A food safety and quality manager is the person who decides whether a lot ships when the line wants it to ship and the data says wait. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Manufacturing only
- We reach people who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
The hiring decision
What makes this hire work on your plant floor?
A food safety and quality manager is the person who decides whether a lot ships when the line wants it to ship and the data says wait. The seat is judged on the third-party audit, the customer audit that follows it and the morning a positive environmental swab arrives.
We search for managers who have already stood in that room, who know the plant's regulator, and who keep production's respect while saying no.
We confirm the PCQI and HACCP certificates, then ask who wrote the last food safety plan and who reanalyzed it. A certificate shows attendance. A candidate who rebuilt a hazard analysis after a new ingredient or a changed kill step shows ownership. We also confirm SQF Practitioner status where your scheme requires a named practitioner.
SQF, BRCGS and FSSC 22000 audits are not interchangeable. We ask which scheme the candidate led, what the grade and major nonconformities were, and how the corrective actions were closed. We also ask about unannounced audits and customer second-party audits, because retailer and foodservice reviews often press harder than the certification body.
Before an introduction
What do we check before you interview?
Daily inspector presence, noncompliance records and establishment-level communication differ from periodic FDA inspections under FSMA. We match the candidate's history to yours and ask for a story of a hard conversation with an inspector, including what the candidate documented afterward.
Regulator match
Daily inspector presence, noncompliance records and establishment-level communication differ from periodic FDA inspections under FSMA. We match the candidate's history to yours and ask for a story of a hard conversation with an inspector, including what the candidate documented afterward.
Environmental monitoring and positive response
We ask how they designed zone mapping, what they did with a Zone 1 positive, how they handled swab trends and what a hold and release decision looked like.
Recall and traceability exercise
Real answers include lot code gaps, rework tracking and supplier paperwork that arrived late. We also test supplier approval, allergen changeover controls and label verification, because most plant recalls begin with an allergen or a label.
Need a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Direct search
Where are qualified people working now?
Our current sources for this seat are food plants with comparable products and regulators, co-manufacturers where allergen changeovers and multiple customer audits are routine, and sanitation and quality leaders at larger peers who want to run the whole program. We also reach quality supervisors and technicians who earned the credentials and have held the plan together informally.
Because most managers are employed and well regarded, our contact is direct. We discuss audit scheme, product risk category and shift pattern before names ever move to you.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Environmental monitoring and positive response. A good manager explains the investigation, the root cause and the sanitation change that followed, not only the retest. Regulator match. USDA inspected plants run on different rhythms than FDA registered ones. Recall and traceability exercise.
- Environmental monitoring and positive response. A good manager explains the investigation, the root cause and the sanitation change that followed, not only the retest.
- Regulator match. USDA inspected plants run on different rhythms than FDA registered ones.
- Recall and traceability exercise. Ask when they last ran a mock recall and what failed.
The search
How the search runs?
We open with a walkthrough call about your products, process steps, hazards, audit history and the people who will report into this role. We want the last audit report's themes, not a marketing brief. Candidates are screened on hazard analysis ownership, environmental monitoring cases and audit outcomes.
Agree the brief
We open with a walkthrough call about your products, process steps, hazards, audit history and the people who will report into this role. We want the last audit report's themes, not a marketing brief. Candidates are screened on hazard analysis ownership, environmental monitoring cases and audit outcomes.
Approach relevant people
You receive a written summary for each finalist that separates what we verified from what we only heard. We prepare you with questions drawn from your own audit findings, coordinate plant tours with a quality lens, and call references among production leaders who worked with the candidate. Our fee is a percentage of first-year base salary, agreed in writing before the start date, and it is due only if you hire.
Qualify the work and support the hire
Expect us to ask uncomfortable questions on your behalf. We will ask a candidate what they did the last time a customer auditor disagreed with their corrective action, and whether they ever stopped a shipment against a sales deadline. We report the answers as given, including hesitations.
Need a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Which manufacturing settings need this role?
What should you know about questions about FSQA Manager searches?
Need a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
What should you know about start your FSQA Manager search?
Need a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
What should you know about hiring guidance for this work?
What should you know about pay snapshot?
$126,060 annual national median for SOC 11-3051 Industrial Production Managers.
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
May 2025 OEWS, released 2026-05-15. BLS release · Official occupation data
Open the full salary guideNeed a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Get a talent snapshot for this roleHave your job description reviewed
What should you know about open jobs?
What else affects this FSQA Manager hire?
Yes, and most are not looking. They are in the middle of audit cycles or corrective actions. We call them directly, discuss the scheme and the scope, and let them decide whether the opening is a step toward authority they lack now.
When would we owe a fee?
Only when an FSQA manager we introduced accepts your offer and joins your plant. If your audit season ends before the search does, no fee accrues from the time spent.
Can our recall history and audit grades stay private?
Yes: We talk about your plant as a type of facility, product category and regulator until a candidate is qualified. Audit grades, nonconformities and customer names are shared only after you approve.
Are good FSQA managers actually reachable if not job hunting?
Yes, and most are not looking. They are in the middle of audit cycles or corrective actions. We call them directly, discuss the scheme and the scope, and let them decide whether the opening is a step toward authority they lack now.
Will an FSQA manager relocate?
Many food safety managers have moved for the right plant, but family and commute matter, especially for rural plants. We ask about relocation before you interview and note any housing or timing needs.
Do you consider Food Safety Manager or QA Manager titles?
Yes: Food Safety and Quality Manager, Food Safety Manager and QA Manager (Food) all appear. We screen on credentials, audit ownership and regulator match instead of the exact label.
Need a FSQA Manager? Tell us the plant and the seat.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get before interviewing?
1. Search CalibrationYou get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone. 2. Market MappingYou get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy.
1. Search Calibration
You get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone.
2. Market Mapping
You get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy. We identify the kinds of plants and teams where people already handle comparable equipment, processes and operating demands.
3. Professional Contact Intelligence
You get a way to reach working people directly. We check professional contact routes and approach candidates discreetly, without making your plant or vacancy public unless you approve.
4. Persistent Personalized Outreach
You get individual conversations about the actual opening. We explain the work, shift and location, ask whether a move makes sense, and follow up without pretending every person is interested.
5. Live Candidate Qualification
You get evidence of fit before spending interview time. We talk through decisions, equipment, results and reasons for moving, then distinguish direct experience from skills that would need support.
6. Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get a focused short list with the information behind it. We explain motivation, practical constraints and concerns, support interviews, and keep offer decisions with your hiring team.
What should we discuss first?
How does your fee work for an FSQA manager?
It is a percentage of the first-year base salary of the manager you hire, agreed in writing before the person starts. We do not add charges for audits of candidates or travel to plant tours.
What should you know before sending fsqa manager?
When do you pay a recruiting fee?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The signed recruiting agreement sets the fee basis and payment terms. Sending an opening does not itself commit you to a fee or an exclusive arrangement.
How long does it take to see a short list?
We discuss the search conditions before describing a realistic next step. Shift, location, equipment match and the candidate's reasons for moving all matter. We do not promise a shortlist date before understanding the opening.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We ask what is driving the move before introducing a candidate. We discuss what might change if the current employer offers more money or a different job. Your team still decides whether that person's motivation fits the opening.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not bill hourly for a standard permanent search, repost a job-board ad as a search, or supply high-volume general labor. Retainers are not the default. Any different arrangement must be agreed in writing.