Director, Food Safety & Quality Assurance - Manufacturing
KeHE Distributors, LLC · Naperville, IL
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 40%
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at KeHE Distributors, LLC (industrial) in Naperville, IL. Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive quality assurance system that applies to both internal production and contract-manufactured products, ensuring consistent product quality and safety.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, CAPA, FDA / GMP
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage · about 40% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $97k–$127k.
Median of the low and high ends of 48 live postings that list pay, out of 71 quality engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 70 other live quality postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 4+)
Typical $90k–$123k, from 43 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 59%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 42%
- Supplier quality 41%
- SPC 37%
- Team leadership 34%
- FMEA 31%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at KeHE Distributors, LLC
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- The posting says about 40% travel. Between which sites?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from KeHE Distributors, LLCAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
The Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) will oversee and lead the food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance efforts across multiple GFSI certified food manufacturing facilities. In addition to managing internal manufacturing FSQA, this role will also have responsibility for the FSQA management of all contract-manufactured products for our exclusive brands. This includes ensuring that all contract manufacturers adhere to the same high standards of food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance that we uphold within our own facilities. The Director will ensure the integrity of our products and safeguard consumer safety, brand reputation, and operational excellence across both in-house and outsourced manufacturing environments. As with all positions at KeHE Distributors, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE’s Mission, Vision, and Values.
requirements
across both internal and contract-manufactured products.
- ✓Provide leadership and support to maintain GFSI certifications across all company-owned facilities and ensure contract manufacturers comply with the same certifications or equivalent standards.
- ✓Implement robust systems to ensure seamless integration of FSQA practices across internal and outsourced production networks
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Why Work for KeHE?
- •Full-time
- •Pay Range: $133,455.00/Yr. - $200,000.00/Yr.
- •Shift Days: M-F, Shift Time: 8:00 AM
- •Benefits on Day 1
- •Health/Rx
- •Dental
- •Vision
- •Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
- •Supplemental life insurance
- •401(k)
- •Paid time off
- •Paid sick time
- •Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
- •Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
- •Holiday pay for company designated holidays
Overview
Good people, working with good people, for our common good.
Sound good?
KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor – is all about “good” and is growing, so there’s never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you’re enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we’d love to talk to you!
Primary
Strategic Leadership & Oversight
- •Lead and manage the FSQA function across multiple internal food manufacturing facilities and contract manufacturers producing products for our exclusive brands.
- •Develop and execute a comprehensive FSQA strategy that ensures alignment with company goals, industry standards, and regulatory
Contract Manufacturer Management
- •Oversee the FSQA management of all contract-manufactured products, ensuring that contract manufacturers meet or exceed our quality standards, food safety protocols, and regulatory requirements.
- •Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with contract manufacturers to ensure consistent product quality and food safety.
- •Conduct regular audits and performance reviews of contract manufacturers, providing guidance on corrective actions and improvements as necessary.
- •Ensure contract manufacturers follow appropriate risk management practices, including supplier qualification, auditing, and monitoring processes.
Compliance & Regulatory Management
- •Ensure all internal and external manufacturing operations comply with federal, state, and local food safety regulations (FDA, USDA, FSMA) and adhere to GFSI standards.
- •Management of our annual QAI Organic audits for our Exclusive Brands.
- •Oversee and manage internal and external audits (including contract manufacturer audits) to ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards.
- •Maintain up-to-date knowledge of food safety regulations, emerging trends, and changes in laws, and communicate these updates to relevant stakeholders within the company and among contract manufacturers.
Quality Assurance & Risk Management
- •Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive quality assurance system that applies to both internal production and contract-manufactured products, ensuring consistent product quality and safety.
- •Identify and address potential risks related to product quality or food safety, implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) as needed.
- •Lead investigations and root cause analysis of any quality or food safety issues and ensure resolution, with corrective measures taken across internal and external production channels.
Team Development & Training
- •Lead, mentor, and develop the FSQA teams across internal manufacturing facilities.
- •Provide ongoing training to employees at all levels to ensure they are equipped with the latest food safety and quality assurance knowledge and best practices.
- •Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability across both internal and contract manufacturing operations.
Continuous Improvement
- •Drive continuous improvement initiatives by applying lean methodologies, Six Sigma, or other process improvement tools to enhance food safety, quality, and efficiency across both internal and external manufacturing environments.
- •Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to food safety and quality, generating regular reports for senior leadership and contract manufacturers to ensure alignment and sustained performance improvement.
- •Analyze trends and data to proactively address areas of concern before they impact product quality or safety.
Crisis Management & Incident Response
- •Act as the primary point of contact for any food safety or quality crisis, including recalls, non-compliance issues, or consumer safety concerns, ensuring effective, rapid response across both internal facilities and contract manufacturers.
- •Lead cross-functional teams in crisis resolution, ensuring that proper root cause analysis, corrective actions, and communications protocols are followed, both within the company and with external stakeholders (including customers and regulatory bodies).
- •Collaboration & Cross-Fun