Beyond Meat
Director of Quality EMEA
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
At Beyond Meat, we started with simple questions. Why do you need an animal to create meat? Why can’t you build meat directly from plants? Thus, we make plant-based meats that allow families to eat more, not less, of the traditional dishes they love while feeling great about the health, sustainability, and animal welfare benefits of plant protein. Our goal is to bring exciting change to the plate—and Beyond.
OVERVIEW
At Beyond Meat, we started with simple questions. Why do you need an animal to create meat? Why can’t you build meat directly from plants? Thus, we make plant-based meats that allow families to eat more, not less, of the traditional dishes they love while feeling great about the health, sustainability, and animal welfare benefits of plant protein. Our goal is to bring exciting change to the plate—and Beyond.
The Director of Quality, EMEA will play an important role in establishing Beyond Meat as the leading player in plant based across the EMEA region and globally. This role will oversee Quality activities and operations in various locations and be responsible for ensuring that Beyond Meat products manufactured in EMEA are of the highest standard, meeting all internal and external requirements including company brand standards. The Director of Quality will develop, implement, and periodically evaluate quality and food safety programs to ensure that production operations meet the quality, integrity, and food safety standards set by the organization. This role will lead, develop, and inspire direct reports, setting up processes and practices to ensure effective and efficient delivery of service to the wider organization. The role will ensure that the QA function in EMEA aligns with and contributes to the Global QA organization for the betterment of Beyond Meat. This role will collaborate closely with HQ leadership including the leaders of Strategic Quality, External Manufacturing and Regulatory & Vendor Compliance. This role will collaborate with and empower cross-functional departments to deliver rapid innovations, adhere to company policies and procedures, minimize quality risks, improve standards and contribute to building a world class organization.
The Director of Quality, EMEA is a member of the EMEA Leadership Team.
TASKS, DUTIES, & GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop & lead EMEA QA department, set strategy and objectives, collaborate with senior management heads to help achieve organizational goals.
- Act as interface with global QA for regional Operations. Collaborate with Strategic Quality Lead, Regulatory & Vendor Compliance Lead and External Manufacturing Leads in support of the organization’s goals.
- Overall responsibility for QA at current and future facilities. Current locations are Enschede, Amsterdam & Ede and also at our current co-manufacturers in Zoeterwoude & Osnabruck, Germany.
- Responsible for 2 QA managers in region
- Work with Co-manufacturing network to support Quality functions within the facilities including but not limited to document review to ensure spec compliance and provide product releases, track and trend testing results, new equipment on boarding, new project assistance
- Act as decision maker, in consultation with global QA for matters relating to regulatory, operational and sales quality matters in the EMEA business. Set quality specifications for regional specific materials and production, in line with corporate guidelines for qualification and onboarding.
- Ensure that the company can meet the quality needs and expectations of customers including large strategic accounts. Represent Beyond Meat EMEA quality in customer meetings as required.
- Align QA management activities, SOPs and processes with global QA function to meet brand requirements within the regional regulatory framework.
- Assist R&D projects to ensure food safety requirements and quality standards are incorporated into the development process and that standards from the development process are built into manufacturing controls.
- Review Quality management systems. Conducts audits and quality control checks as required.
- Maintain transparent reporting on KPIs related to food safety, product consumer/customer complaints, pre-operational activities, internal and external audits, customer service.
- Determine regional QA processes in line with global QA best practices, including test frequencies, document control, qualification process, local food safety etc.
- Manage an effective system of Quality control & testing (CoA) of materials and finished goods in region in compliance with corporate policies.
- Lead QA activity related to trials & innovations in region.
- Resolve product quality complaints effectively.
- Manage audit activity for regional operations & suppliers in compliance with all corporate polices, using approved certifying bodies and corporate supplier approval programs to maintain consistency.
- Develop and maintain all records and systems needed for company and regulatory compliance
- Work with Global QA to deliver service level agreements such as rapid Supplier & Materials Onboarding
- Own and oversee effective management of quality incidents in the region.
- Responsible for effective management of documentation and traceability within EMEA.
QUALIFICATIONS - Education, Technical Skills, and/or Previous Experience:
- Qualification to degree level or higher preferred. Food Science or Microbiology background an advantage
- At least 10 years of experience in a Food and Beverage manufacturing environment, preferably in NL/Benelux for an US based company.
- Thorough understanding of quality control standards and methodologies.
- Strong experience with manufacturing, production, and packaging processes in the industry.
- Well versed in GMPs, HACCP, FDA/FSMA, product food safety norms and regulations
- Working knowledge of GFSI schemes such as IFS and/or BRC certifications and audit process.
- Pragmatic, action-oriented, impact-oriented. Collaborative Team Player.
- Strong leadership skills with people management experience
- Experienced in working with multiple business functions, including safety, finance, innovation, legal, operations and external entities such as co-manufacturers and business partners.
- Capable of working with all levels of the organization; internal and external.
- Native Dutch language, fluency in English; German is an advantage.
- Ability to travel on short notice, work under pressure and time constraints.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Location: Flexible within Netherlands. Must be able to visit Enschede, Leiden, Ede, Osnabruck, Germany and Amsterdam on a frequent basis. Average of 2 days/week in Amsterdam.
- This job requires 30-40% travel.
- Full time 40 hours per week.
- This role reports to the VP Quality & Regulatory Compliance with a dotted line to VP Operations EMEA
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Beyond Meat is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, gender identify, sexual orientation, national origin, liability for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you are interested in learning the status of your application, please note you will be contacted directly by the appropriate human resources contact person if you are selected for further consideration. Beyond Meat reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.
Please note that Beyond Meat has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. All U.S. employees who (a) physically enter a Beyond Meat facility in the United States, (b) represent Beyond Meat at work-related events, including but not limited to trade shows and product demonstrations, or (c) physically enter customer or potential customer sites in connection with their work for Beyond Meat must take all necessary steps to be Fully Vaccinated as a condition of employment, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved.
Beyond Meat is a Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown.
- Founded
- Founded 2009
- Employees
- 201-500 employees
- Industry
- Food Products
Director of Quality