Quality Improvement Lead

Join Riverside Natural Foods Ltd., a Canadian-based, family-owned, and globally operating business, committed to leaving the world better than we found it. As a B-Corp certified, Triple-Bottom Line company, we proudly manufacture nutritious, 'better-for-you' snacks such as MadeGood and GOOD TO GO. We value teamwork, humility, respect, ownership, adaptability, grit, and fun.

We’re on an ambitious mission to double our business by 2030, and we need talented individuals like you to help us reach new heights. At Riverside, you’ll have the opportunity to chart your own path to success while contributing to ours. We believe anything worth doing is worth doing right, and our values will guide us through the rugged terrain – and yes, it will get rough. But that’s what makes the journey worthwhile.

So, lace up your boots and let’s tackle the climb together.

You can learn more about us at

Position Summary/Objective

The position ensures successful continues improvement of Riverside’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance System by providing leadership through strong knowledge and experience of managing food safety and quality incidents, conducting root cause analysis, risk assessment, CAPA program and meeting the food safety and quality targets. You will be responsible for initiatives to enhance the food safety and quality performance of products and processes within Riverside Natural Food Ltd. They are passionate about Riverside’s values and purpose, solving problems, food safety, quality (delighting our consumers) and always lead with a continuous improvement mindset.

Primary Responsibilities

• Demonstrate and uphold Riverside Natural Food’s core values
• Manage (lead investigations, root cause analysis -RCA, collect or identify data that needs to be collected, etc.) food safety and Quality Incidents including consumer and customer complaints, product holds, internal non-conformances to ensure product safety and quality
• Take the OWNERSHIP on leading investigation and root cause analysis to identify possible issues affecting food safety and quality of the products and processes, place necessary products on hold in SAP systems
• Review and analyze data from food safety records and quality verification checks to identify trends and areas for improvement and implement corrective action
• Lead cross-functional teams in identifying opportunities for food safety and quality improvement by addressing root cause of issues, writing incident reports, and ensuring comprehensive action plans are implemented and completed to prevent future issues
• TEAMWORK and work closely with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Engineering, Facility, R&D and other relevant departments to implement and sustain food safety and quality improvement initiatives
• Ensure consistent execution of current Food Safety and Quality Management Programs, internal procedures and compliance with BRC requirements
• Establish, develop, implement and monitor food safety and quality improvement strategies, plans and KPIs aligned with organizational goals. Communicate and report improvement, progress and results to stakeholders to measure success
• Use statistical methods, data analysis and sampling plans to track and monitor product and process performances and capabilities affecting safety and quality and reduce defects and minimize inconsistencies. Identify upper and lower specifications limits to build run charts to monitor CTQs and CTPs. Understand the process to create and implement control charts for existing and new products working with R&D and production team.
• Develop, update, and implement improvement policies and procedures and Food safety and quality plan
• Identify training opportunities, train the trainer and ensure employees are trained in food safety and quality improvement methodologies and tools such as root cause and hazard analysis, risk assessment, corrective and preventive action development.
• Promote a culture of excellence and improvement awareness across the organization
• Develop innovative solutions to food safety and quality related issues and provide improvement reports on the status improvement projects to senior leadership.
• Keeps the work atmosphere FUN by keeping it light and welcoming
• Other duties, as assigned to support the execution of FSQA programs.

Reporting Relationship

Reports directly to the plant FSQA Leader. Plant FSQA leaders report to corporate. There are no direct reports.

Education & Qualifications

• or Diploma in Engineering, Food Science and technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, pharmaceutical and other related disciplines
• A minimum of 3 years of FSQA experience in food manufacturing and relevant food safety and quality programs in similar roles (Quality improvement, continues improvement, process improvement).
• Experience with highly automated food manufacturing lines for continues and batch processes.
• Strong understanding of hazards analysis, HACCP, GMPs, FM prevention, microbiology, pest control and other food safety related programs
• A minimum Lean Six Sigma- Green belt certification and experience in QI (quality improvement) focused environment. Demonstrated application on actual projects on production sites.
• Strong understanding of statistics, product sampling standards/programs and SPC and experience in SPC technologies such as Minitab
• Understanding and knowledge of commercialization processes, food safety and quality attributes and its impact
• Experience in investigation process, root cause analysis methodologies and corrective action plans (CAPA)

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to be persuasive, assertive while also being collaborative with diverse TEAMS.
• Exceptional time management, organizational and implementation skills.
• Self-starter with a high level of initiative and ADAPTABILITY
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with follow-through
• Analytical, with problem-identification and problem-solving capabilities, detail oriented.
• PASSIONATE and curious individuals with a positive attitude and desire to learn and
• Aptitude to exhibit, RESPECT and protect Riverside’s Core Values in a rapidly changing

Job Scorecard FSQA Improvement Leader

Purpose Of The Role

The position ensures successful continues improvement of Riverside’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance System by providing leadership through strong knowledge and experience of managing food safety and quality incidents, investigation, conducting root cause analysis, risk assessment, CAPA program and meeting the food safety and quality targets. Lead initiatives to enhance the food safety and quality performance and solve problems always with a continuous improvement mindset to meet and exceed consumer expectations and food safety requirements.

Key Accountabilities

Responsibility

KPI/ Metric to Measure Success

Current Year Target

Drive Continuous Improvement

• % reduction in customer complaints.
• CAPA effectiveness rate: by measuring CAPA closure and recurrence rate
• % Reduction in NCRs (Cases or Kg on hold)
• Develop process mapping for one line per year and map out CTP- centerlines and CTQs
• 20% annual reduction in recurring customer complaint issues.
• ≥90% CAPA closure rate based on agreed completion date. <5% recurrence rate (of issues that reoccurred after CAPA/ Total CAPA implemented)
• 15% reduction vs YE2025 held cases
• Process Map developed for one line.

BRC audit compliance

No BRC audit nonconformances in the areas of Non-conformances and CAPA programs

Meet BRC AA unannounced requirements

Training and best practice sharing

Design and deliver annual RCA training

Share min 6 learning/best practices from problem solving and RCA.

• 100% training completion to target audience.

Competencies For Success In The Role

Key Riverside Leadership Competencies needed to be successful in this role:

• Collaborates

Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

• Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives.
• Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas.
• Partners with others to get work done.
• Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments.
• Gains trust and support of others.
• Drives Engagement

Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.

• Structures the work so it aligns with people’s goals and motivators.
• Empowers others.
• Makes each person feel his/her contributions are important.
• Invites input and shares ownership and visibility.
• Shows a clear connection between people’s motivators and the organizational goals.
• Ensures Accountability

Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

• Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same.
• Acts with a clear sense of ownership.
• Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures.
• Establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results.
• Designs feedback loops into work.
• Resilience

Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

• Is confident under pressure.
• Handles and manages crises effectively.
• Maintains a positive attitude despite adversity.
• Bounces back from setbacks.
• Grows from hardships and negative experiences.
• Drives Results

Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.

• Has a strong bottom-line orientation.
• Persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks.
• Has a track record of exceeding goals successfully.
• Pushes self and helps others achieve results.
• Balances Stakeholders

Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.

Talented Definition

• Understands internal and external stakeholder requirements, expectations, and needs.
• Balances the interests of multiple stakeholders.
• Considers cultural and ethical factors in the decision-making process.
• Acts fairly despite conflicting demands of stakeholders.
• Directs Work

Providing direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done.

• Provides clear direction and accountabilities.
• Delegates and distributes assignments and decisions appropriately.
• Monitors progress by maintaining dialogue on work and results.
• Provides appropriate guidance and direction based on people’s capabilities.
• Intervenes as needed to remove obstacles.

Key Riverside Functional Competencies needed to be successful in this role:

Functional Competencies

Definition

Food Safety and Quality compliance

Demonstrated knowledge and hands‑on experience in Food Safety and Quality specifically in continues improvement and process improvement. In-depth knowledge of Non‑conformance and CAPA processes. Strong understanding of HACCP principles, GFSI standards- BRC, GMPs, FM prevention, microbiology, pest control and SPC

• Lead-through investigation
• Perform risk assessment and analyze its impact
• Strong knowledge of root cause analysis methodologies
• Effective CAPA development and implementation

Process and program knowledge

Food manufacturing knowledge with highly automated food manufacturing lines for continues and batch processes

• Understanding and knowledge of commercialization processes, food safety and quality attributes and its impact
• Develop, update, and implement improvement policies and procedures and Food safety and quality plan
• Ensure consistent execution of current Food Safety and Quality Management Programs, internal procedures and compliance with BRC requirements

Data driven

Strong understanding of statistics, product sampling standards/programs and hands‑on experience in SPC technologies such as Minitab

• Collect or identify data that needs to be collected based on rational sampling plan..
• Review and analyze data from food safety records, quality verification checks, consumer and customer complaints, product holds, internal non-conformances
• Identify trends, improvement areas and potential issues and develop proactive and permanent solutions
• Use statistical methods, data analysis and sampling plan to track and monitor product and process performances affecting safety and quality and reduce defects and minimize inconsistencies.
• Use working principles and data analysis to understand the impact of CTPs on CTQs.
• Establish, develop, implement and monitor food safety and quality improvement strategies, plans and KPIs aligned with organizational goals. Report improvement, progress and results to stakeholders to measure success

Training Delivery

• Identify training opportunities
• Train the trainer and ensure employees are trained in food safety and quality improvement methodologies and tools such as root cause and hazard analysis, risk assessment, corrective and preventive action development.
• Share learning and best practices

Please note this role is an existing vacancy.

Salary Range: $70,000 CAD - $85,000 CAD

At Riverside, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation and job posting practices. The range above reflects the target compensation for the position at the time of posting. Exact compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education, and training, as well as other organizational needs, while balancing internal equity.

What We Expect

• Values-led: You’ll be a member of a thoughtful and compassionate team that prioritizes respect, teamwork and resourcefulness along with a good dash of fun. Sometimes, even making granola bars is hard, and life’s too short to take ourselves so seriously that we don’t enjoy the journey.
• Unparalleled experiences and opportunities: We’re still determining who we are and what we can be. Help us shape what this organization will look like and what we’ll offer the world, into the future. This means rolling up your sleeves and sometimes building the process – fast! – while employing it. At Riverside, progress occasionally means proceeding imperfectly, and we’re okay with that, as long as we’re staying true to our values and learning and improving along the way.
• Access to everyone: We’re a flat organization with few silos which means you’ll have full access to everyone from our founders to our production staff. Even when employees dress up, they wear steel‑toed shoes. So don’t be shy. Speak up, share your ideas and go places you normally wouldn’t – like the plant, or the boardroom.
• Personal development: We’ll support and empower you to chart your own path and reach any heights you set for yourself. Career paths at Riverside are carved by the people walking on them, not dictated by leaders. Count on us to give you the training and tools to grow and progress.
• Gratitude: As a growing business, we can’t always offer formal recognition like awards programs, but we do show our true gratitude and appreciation. At Riverside, we’re all in this together and we value you.
• Be a Riverside Brand Ambassador: Stay relentlessly close to our consumers and represent the brand in every interaction, decision, and deliverable. Bring the consumer voice into your work by protecting product quality, availability, and experience, acting early when standards slip, and delivering consistent value that earns trust, advocacy, and long‑term brand love.

What We Offer

• Values-led: We don’t cut corners or step on anyone or anything on our way to our summit. There is no winning at all costs here. Every step you take must align with our values, no compromises.
• Courageous determination: As a family‑run, rapidly growing business, we are often challenged to find ways to deliver that aren’t obvious or ... but we are ^
• Humility: We’re a small (but growing) fish in a sea of whales and sharks. We know the products we offer are some of the healthiest and most sustainable, but we don’t brag about it, and know we have a steep path ahead. We pride ourselves in being respectful and supportive of others while shining brightly through our innovative, high‑quality products. There isn’t one superstar at Riverside. We take turns leading the way as we climb to the summit.
• Continuous improvement: As a learn‑as‑we‑go organization, we rely on each other to continuously improve everything we touch to make it better, more efficient, more sustainable, and more endearing to customers, consumers, employees, vendors, partners and the community. We own our mistakes and learn from them as we wind our way to the top. 

Wait! There’s more!

• Immerse yourself in our comprehensive benefits program, with Riverside taking care of the costs!
• RRSP matching or 401k matching for an empowered financial journey
• Eligibility to participate in Riverside's Profit Sharing Plan
• Join Employee‑Led Resource Groups (ERGs) championing mental health, sustainability, diversity, women, and LGBTQ+ rights
• Develop your career further through our Riverside University program and with our Tuition Reimbursement Program
• An open concept work environment that embodies our Values