Director, Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory

  • Full-time
  • Job Duration: Regular

Company Description

Since 1940, Dairy Queen® has been one of the world’s best known and loved brands. Based in Minneapolis, MN, International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation. As a leading franchisor, there are more than 7,000 independently owned and operated restaurants in the U.S., Canada and more than 20 countries around the world. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire.

Here at IDQ, we create extraordinary Fan experiences every day and we do this through our commitment to hiring and retaining only the best in class talent. We firmly believe that our employees are the catalyst to the success of the company where their initiative, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit are recognized and rewarded. We're looking for motivated, passionate and dedicated individuals with an inherent need and ambition to go after bigger challenges.

    Job Description

    We have an exciting opportunity available for a Director, Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory leader to join our Dairy Queen corporate team located in Shanghai, China.  The position provides strategic leadership and direction within the areas of Food, Safety, Quality and Regulatory for Asia, including China, Thailand, the Philippines and other southeast Asian markets.  Key activities and accountabilities include:  overseeing and executing vendor onboarding and ongoing qualifications, assessing and addressing food safety and quality for DQ ingredients and packaging, supporting the development of new products, ensuring regulatory compliance and collaborating with the IDQ cross-functional team and franchisee groups to solve relevant problems and drive the DQ business.  Oversees key strategic products and associated suppliers, such as DQ’s iconic soft serve mix.  Works closely with cross-functional regional teams to serve as a thought leader and problem solver in bringing safe and quality products to market and must have the ability to identify key functional and business opportunities and take ownership on solutions to address them.     

    Key Accountabilities Include:

    Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory for Asia                                           

    Leads and directs strategic development, improvement, implementation, execution, measurement and communication of programs, tools and outcomes that are designed to deliver safe and high-quality food for Dairy Queen business lines.  Key areas of responsibility within this accountability include:

    • Vendor, product (food, packaging, and chemicals), commissary and warehouse qualification, onboarding, compliance and management.  Visits and collaborates with vendor facilities to ensure food safety and quality preparedness.  Includes vendor inspections/audits.
    • Specification compliance – tools, measurement, reporting, trends, feedback and continuous improvement
    • Issues resolution: Proactively and reactively monitor, manage and communicate quality and food safety issues (product complaints, holds, withdrawals, recalls, recovery, crises)
    • Conducts annual plant inspection of dairy plants (within Asia) manufacturing DQ soft serve, based on the contractual obligations that the manufacturers have agreed to follow.  Oversees, in partnership with US-based FSQR partner, the overall Asia soft serve mix program.
    • Collaborates closely with supply chain and provides strategic input into supply continuity projects and supports downstream execution
    • Partners with operations, as assigned, to assist with restaurant food safety and regulatory opportunities
    • Leads specific regulatory compliance and corporate responsibility projects, as assigned.

    New Product Development Support                                                                              

    • Partners with Product Development during development and test phase
    • Reviews new supplier and ingredient documentation for approval
    • Supervises test production/initial runs of new ingredients to ensure product quality during production run including ingredients, packaging and packaging material.
    • Identifies and mitigates risks as part of the new product development process.

    Relationship Building and Communication                       

    • Develops positive cross functional (within IDQ) and external relationships (franchisees, suppliers, government, industry associations, industry leaders) that generate strategic direction, business solutions, create trust, and help develop future department strategies that align with the evolving business. 
    • Identifies situations that warrant communication and promptly and effectively communicates need-to-know FSQR items to internal and external stakeholders
    • Influences franchisees to understand and execute FSQR requirements
    • Serves as liaison between US based FSQR team and Asia franchisees, suppliers, and IDQ cross-functional teams

    Team and Department Leadership                                                                                       

    • Develops strategies and team & department goals that align with department mission and business goals
    • Provides routine coaching and direction to teammates to help ensure department and company goals are prioritized and met
    • Elevates team or project issues to department and company leadership as appropriate
    • Provides input to and helps manage department budget

    Qualifications

    Education/Experience:

    • Minimum undergraduate degree in food science, chemistry, or closely related field.
    • 10+ years of prior experience in progressive quality management and food safety roles.  Ideally has experience working within a franchisor organization, preferably a QSR brand.
    • Minimum of two years of experience managing employees.

    Skills:

    • Capable of delivering challenging/constructive feedback to suppliers or internal personnel and maintaining steady direction yielding right results quickly.
    • Ability to manage and prioritize multiple, complex projects and responsibilities in a fast-changing and deadline-driven environment.
    • Ability to influence individuals across diverse functions and franchisees to gain support and meet established objectives; able to articulate technical information to a variety of audiences. 
    • Relationship building skills with the ability to create mutually beneficial relationships with both internal and external clients.
    • Strategic and creative thinker that can create and execute business-relevant strategies.  Takes ownership of projects and able to adjust based on critical thinking and rapidly changing inputs.
    • Expertise in food manufacturing, processes, and packaging. Knowledge of food purchasing, distribution, and logistics.
    • Thorough knowledge of food safety, microbiology, HACCP, Good Manufacturing Practices and Asia specific regulatory requirements.
    • Ability to apply sound technical principles to root cause analyses, problem solving and project management.  Strong analytical skills and knowledge of quality and associated statistics.
    • Must be able and willing to work across time zones as needed.  Early morning or evening calls are common to collaborate with US-based counterparts.
    • Proficient in Microsoft Office software
    • Must have ability to travel up to 30% internationally and to travel to the US and all countries throughout Asia.
    • Fluency in English and Mandarin (verbal and written).

    Additional Information

    All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.  

    Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

    We are committed to creating a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion for all who touch DQ.  We believe in and commit to fostering a community where employees bring their authentic selves to work; where we recruit, engage and retain employees, franchise owners and suppliers with diverse background and identities; and where everyone feels welcome engaging with our DQ brand.

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