Quality Assurance Regional Manager – Albert Lea, MN

Quality Assurance Regional Manager

📍 Location: Albert Lea, Minnesota (Oversight of Multiple Manufacturing Sites)
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
💰 Base Salary: $130,000 – $145,000
🚚 Relocation Assistance: Available for Ideal Candidates
✈️ Travel: Frequent Regional Travel Required
🚫 Visa Sponsorship: Not Available

Overview

A growing manufacturer in the food and nutrition sector is seeking a Quality Assurance Regional Manager to lead quality and food safety operations across multiple production facilities in Minnesota.

This leadership role is responsible for driving food safety, regulatory compliance, quality system effectiveness, continuous improvement, and team development while partnering closely with Operations, Production, R&D, and Commercial teams.

The successful candidate will be a strong people leader with deep expertise in FDA-regulated manufacturing environments and a proven ability to influence cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

Quality & Food Safety Leadership

• Lead quality assurance programs across multiple manufacturing sites.

• Ensure compliance with FDA, HACCP, SQF, customer, and internal quality standards.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on food safety, quality, and operational excellence.

• Oversee internal audit programs, CAPA processes, and compliance activities.

• Lead root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions.

Team Leadership

• Develop, coach, and mentor regional quality teams.

• Establish and communicate performance goals using SMART objectives.

• Build a culture of accountability, food safety, and continuous improvement.

• Deliver food safety and quality training programs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Production, R&D, Commercial, and Operations teams to support product launches and process improvements.

• Support commercialization activities, change control processes, and new product introductions.

• Provide quality leadership during customer visits, regulatory inspections, and external audits.

Systems & Compliance

• Ensure effective implementation of food safety and quality management systems.

• Monitor and improve key metrics including:

• First Pass Quality

• Customer Complaints

• CAPA Effectiveness

• Inventory Health

• Compliance Performance

• Environmental & Sanitation Programs

• Apply SPC and data-driven methodologies to improve process performance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Science or a related field.

• 10+ years of Quality Assurance experience within:

• Food Manufacturing

• Beverage Manufacturing

• Dietary Supplements

• Pharmaceutical or Medical Device Manufacturing

• Management experience leading quality teams.

• Strong knowledge of:

• FDA Regulations

• HACCP

• SQF

• Food Safety Programs

• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Preferred Experience

• Multi-site quality leadership experience.

• Career progression across multiple functions including:

• Production

• R&D

• Quality

• PCQI certification.

• Strong experience working with cross-functional teams.

• Statistical Process Control (SPC) expertise.

• Project management and continuous improvement experience.

Key Skills

✔ Quality Assurance Leadership
✔ FDA Compliance
✔ HACCP & SQF Programs
✔ Food Safety Systems
✔ CAPA Management
✔ Root Cause Analysis
✔ Internal Auditing
✔ SPC & Data Analysis
✔ Team Development
✔ Cross-Functional Leadership

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate has a strong quality leadership background within food or beverage manufacturing and has progressed through multiple operational disciplines such as Production, R&D, and Quality.

They will bring:

• Multi-site quality management experience.

• Strong food safety and regulatory expertise.

• Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives.

• Excellent leadership, coaching, and communication skills.

• A track record of driving continuous improvement and quality culture transformation.

Screening Questions

1. Do you have experience in the food and beverage manufacturing industry?

2. Do you have hands-on experience with HACCP, SQF, and food safety systems?

3. Are you a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident?

4. Have you successfully partnered with cross-functional teams across operations, R&D, and quality?

5. Have you held roles in multiple functions such as Production, R&D, and Quality during your career?

Candidate Snapshot

Requirement

Details

Experience

10+ Years

Seniority

Director Level

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Industry

Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Management Experience

Required

Travel

Frequent

Multi-Site Oversight

Preferred

Relocation

Available

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Lead quality operations across multiple manufacturing facilities.

• High visibility role with direct impact on food safety and operational excellence.

• Strong career growth opportunities within a growing organization.

• Collaborative environment with significant cross-functional leadership exposure.

• Opportunity to shape quality strategy and drive continuous improvement initiatives across multiple sites.

Business Segment Director – Space Mission Systems | TS/SCI Poly | Scottsdale, AZ

Business Segment Director – Space Mission Systems

📍 Location: Scottsdale, Arizona / Remote Flexibility Available
🏢 Work Model: Remote with Travel Requirements
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
🔐 Security Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI Clearance Required at Time of Hire
🔒 CI Polygraph Preferred (Must be eligible and willing to obtain post-hire if not currently held)

💰 Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $200,000 – $290,000
  (Depending on experience and qualifications)

• Full comprehensive benefits package

• Relocation assistance available for ideal candidates

• Interview travel reimbursement provided

📍 Location & Travel Expectations

• The role can ultimately be performed remotely with travel as needed

• However, the first 3 months will require significant onsite presence in Scottsdale to support onboarding, stakeholder integration, and operational ramp-up

• Following this initial period, candidates may be based remotely but must be willing to travel when required for program, customer, and leadership engagements

🚀 The Opportunity

A leading defense and aerospace organization is seeking a Business Segment Director to lead a portfolio of advanced national security and space mission programs supporting critical missions globally.

The portfolio includes technologies and programs related to:

• Data networking & secure data transport

• Cybersecurity & high-assurance cryptography

• Mission-critical space systems

• Satellites & embedded mission technologies

• Secure communications & networking platforms

This executive leadership role oversees high-value development and production programs and is responsible for strategic growth, operational execution, customer engagement, financial performance, and organizational leadership across a highly complex classified portfolio.

The ideal candidate is a proven defense industry executive with deep expertise across space systems, secure technologies, avionics, cybersecurity, cryptographic solutions, or embedded mission systems, combined with strong operational leadership and business development capabilities.

🔧 Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Growth

• Lead and expand a portfolio of mission-critical defense and space programs

• Develop and execute short- and long-term business growth strategies

• Identify and capture adjacent and new business opportunities

• Drive business development and customer engagement initiatives

• Support strategic portfolio growth within national security and classified environments

Program & Operational Leadership

• Oversee execution of complex development and production programs

• Manage financial, operational, schedule, and customer satisfaction objectives

• Ensure successful delivery across highly classified and technically complex environments

• Balance mission urgency, execution discipline, and customer expectations

• Lead operational performance across multiple programs and business initiatives

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as senior interface to government and defense customers

• Build trusted relationships across:

• Space systems organizations

• Cryptographic and cybersecurity communities

• Networking and avionics sectors

• Certification and mission authorities

• Communicate effectively with executive, operational, and technical stakeholders

• Represent the business segment with senior internal and external leadership

Organizational & Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor high-performing engineering and program leadership teams

• Drive accountability, collaboration, and organizational alignment

• Support transformation and change management initiatives

• Foster an inclusive, innovative, and mission-focused culture

• Build and sustain high-performing cross-functional teams

Technical & Mission Leadership

• Support programs involving:

• Satellites and space mission systems

• Secure networking solutions

• High-assurance cryptographic systems

• Embedded mission technologies

• Secure communications platforms

• Collaborate across engineering, operations, and customer teams to deliver mission success

• Support Agile development environments and innovation initiatives

• Identify opportunities for AI-enabled operational improvements and efficiencies

✅ Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required

• 15+ years of leadership experience within defense contracting or related national security environments

• Proven experience managing:

• Complex development programs

• Production programs

• Large portfolios or business segments

• Strong expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Space systems

• Satellites

• Cryptography

• Cybersecurity

• Secure networking

• National security systems

• Active TS/SCI clearance required at time of hire

• Ability and willingness to obtain CI Polygraph clearance

• U.S. Citizenship required

⭐ Preferred Background

• Embedded systems or avionics experience

• Experience supporting compartmented programs

• Agile development environment experience

• Existing relationships across aerospace and defense communities

• Experience operating within large matrix organizations

• Strong financial and operational leadership capability

• Experience leading organizational transformation initiatives

🛠️ Core Skills

✔ Strategic Planning
✔ Business Development
✔ Program Execution
✔ Space Systems Leadership
✔ Cryptographic Solutions
✔ Cybersecurity
✔ Financial Management
✔ Customer Relationship Management
✔ Change Management
✔ Team Leadership
✔ Defense Contracting
✔ Agile Development
✔ Operational Leadership
✔ National Security Programs

🎯 Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an executive-level aerospace or defense leader who:

• Brings deep expertise across mission-critical national security programs

• Understands complex space mission systems and secure technologies

• Has successfully led large organizations through growth and transformation

• Combines strong operational execution with strategic business leadership

• Is highly customer-facing and trusted within classified defense environments

• Thrives in fast-moving, high-accountability mission environments

• Demonstrates strong leadership presence, communication, and stakeholder management capability

🌟 Why This Role Stands Out

• Lead highly strategic national security and space mission programs

• Influence cutting-edge technologies in cybersecurity, cryptography, and secure space systems

• Significant executive visibility and organizational influence

• Opportunity to shape the future of secure space mission capabilities

• Join a highly respected defense and aerospace organization supporting critical global missions

• Strong long-term growth and leadership opportunity

📋 Additional Details

• Travel required based on program and customer needs

• Director-level executive leadership position

• Relocation assistance available for exceptional candidates

• Candidates must possess an active TS/SCI clearance and be eligible to obtain a CI Polygraph

• Remote flexibility available following initial onboarding period

Recruiter Summary

This is a highly visible executive leadership opportunity within a premier aerospace and defense environment supporting advanced national security and space mission programs. The position offers the opportunity to lead complex classified portfolios involving secure communications, cybersecurity, cryptography, satellites, and mission-critical technologies while influencing long-term strategic growth and operational direction across the organization.

Ideal candidates will bring a blend of strategic leadership, operational excellence, technical credibility, customer engagement experience, and deep understanding of classified defense environments.