Quality Manager at Pittston Co-Packers – Pittston, Pennsylvania

Who We Are

At Pittston Co-Packers, we are a team of hardworking individuals driven by a shared purpose: delivering the highest quality beverages through innovation, precision, and pride in our craft. From our production lines to our support teams, we believe in keeping things simple, empowering each other to take ownership, and working together to achieve excellence.

We’re not just growing; we’re setting a new standard in beverage manufacturing. Our culture is built on trust, collaboration, and a strong commitment to doing things the right way. If you’re looking for a workplace where your contributions are valued, your ideas are welcomed, and your growth is supported, you’ll feel right at home with us.

Job Summary:

The Quality Manager leads and oversees the Quality Assurance and Food Safety programs in a high-speed beverage manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, internal quality systems, customer requirements, and plant quality objectives. The Quality Manager will drive food safety, product quality, audit readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives across the plant while partnering closely with Production, Maintenance, Warehouse, Sanitation, and other cross-functional teams.

The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, audit readiness, technical knowledge, and the ability to build a culture of quality throughout the plant. This position requires prior beverage manufacturing experience, and candidates with Coca-Cola, Coke system, or other major beverage company backgrounds are strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

Quality Systems & Compliance

• Manage and continuously improve plant quality systems including HACCP, GMPs, traceability, allergen control, hold-and-release procedures, CAPA processes, and documentation control.

• Lead all regulatory inspections, customer audits, and internal audit activities; ensure full documentation, preparation, follow-up, and audit readiness at all times.

• Maintain compliance with FDA, FSMA, OSHA, SQF, and other relevant food safety, quality, and workplace safety standards.

• Ensure quality policies, SOPs, specifications, and work instructions are current, effective, and properly implemented throughout the plant.

• Oversee non-conformance reporting, deviation investigations, corrective actions, preventive actions, and verification of closure.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise and develop QA technicians, sanitation supervisors, and QC line staff.

• Provide training and reinforcement on quality standards, food safety requirements, SOPs, GMP expectations, and product specifications.

• Promote a proactive culture of accountability, quality ownership, and continuous improvement across the operation.

• Coach team members and cross-functional partners on quality expectations, issue escalation, and compliance discipline.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with Production, Batching, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Sanitation teams to ensure in-process and finished product quality.

• Participate in daily production, quality, and sanitation meetings to align on compliance risks, plant issues, and preventive actions.

• Support engineering, operations, and commercialization initiatives through validation activities, process changes, change control, and implementation of new products or systems.

• Work closely with plant leadership to identify quality risks, communicate performance gaps, and develop practical improvement plans.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Monitor quality performance metrics such as consumer complaints, non-conformances, batch rejections, hold incidents, audit scores, and other plant quality KPIs.

• Lead root cause analyses and develop effective CAPAs to address recurring or critical quality issues.

• Prepare and present quality dashboards, trend reports, and executive summaries to plant leadership.

• Use data analysis and plant observations to identify continuous improvement opportunities and strengthen process control.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support customer complaint investigations and ensure timely follow-up and resolution.

• Ensure plant readiness for customer visits, validation activities, and quality-related start-up or commercialization needs.

• Execute additional responsibilities as required to meet evolving business needs and leadership directives.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in beverage manufacturing required.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a quality management, quality leadership, or supervisory role required.
• Experience with HACCP, SQF, FDA, FSMA, and food safety/quality systems in a regulated manufacturing environment required.
• Candidates with prior experience in Coca-Cola, Coke system plants, beverage bottling, or other major beverage manufacturing environments are strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting customer audits, regulatory inspections, and plant quality programs is required.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of food safety systems, internal auditing, sanitation programs, and quality compliance in a beverage manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, coach, and develop cross-functional quality teams.
• Excellent documentation, communication, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Strong problem-solving ability, including root cause analysis and CAPA management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, quality databases, and QMS systems.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced plant environment and manage multiple priorities with a high level of accountability.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Must be able to walk and stand for long periods in production and warehouse areas.
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs and operate standard testing and inspection equipment.
• Regular exposure to wet or slippery floors, temperature changes, cleaning chemicals, and production noise.
• PPE usage required in production, warehouse, and sanitation areas.

Pittston Co-Packers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.