Summary
The Head of Production & Food Safety is the senior technical leader responsible for daily manufacturing operations, process engineering and standardization, food safety compliance, and scalability planning. This role is required to liaise with internal parties as a subject-matter expert, providing technical inputs and recommendations across areas such as new product development and cost control activities.
Duties
Daily operations and production
- Supervise and direct production shifts
- Ensure all production orders are fulfilled with zero recipe deviations
- Resolve production, equipment, and personnel issues in real time
- Coordinate with the Administrative and Operations teams on the weekly production plan vs. raw material inventory
- Validate finished product before dispatch: temperature, texture, weight, and presentation
Process Engineering and Standardization
- Design and document complete technical data sheets per product and client: ingredients, weights, cooking parameters, tolerances, and shelf life
- Establish process flows (HACCP flow diagrams) for each production line
- Calculate actual yields per ingredient and set conversion standards
- Implement Critical Control Point (CCP) controls with verifiable records
- DDevelop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for every kitchen operation:
- Shift opening and closing
- Equipment cleaning and sanitization
- Raw material receiving and verification
- Temperature monitoring and cold chain control
Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance
- Serve as the technical point of contact with Toronto Public Health and the CFIA
- Maintain and update the HACCP plan: hazard analysis, CCPs, and critical limits
- Lead internal and external food safety audits
- Manage the allergen control program, lot traceability, and recall procedures
- Ensure full compliance with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) across all operations
Scalability and Special Projects
- Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive technical roadmap to achieve plant-level food safety certification (SQF, BRC, or equivalent GFSI-recognized standard) for food manufacturing operations in a future horizon.
- Evaluate and recommend equipment investments to increase capacity or improve automation
- Identify co-packing opportunities for new product categories
- Liaise with the Operations team on cost control activities: provide inputs on ingredient yields, production quantities, waste factors, and formulation recommendations that inform the standard cost model
- Note: As AMEG grows, this role is expected to progressively take on new product development responsibilities, collaborating with or eventually leading the NPD process.
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- Degree in Food Engineering, Agro-Industrial Engineering, Food Technology, or Food Science — required. Also considered: Culinary Arts degree + postgraduate diploma in Food Engineering or Quality Management
- Advanced HACCP Certification — required
- Food Handler Certificate (Ontario) — required
- SFCR / CFIA Preventive Control Plan training — strongly recommended
- Minimum 5 years in food manufacturing, production plant, or high-volume central kitchen operations
- Demonstrable experience implementing or maintaining HACCP systems in a real production environment
- Experience leading teams of 8+ people in shift-based production
- Experience with plant certification processes (SQF, BRC, FSSC, ISO 22000) — an asset
- Experience with Mexican or Latin American cuisine at industrial scale — an asset
- Maintain complete records: temperatures, sanitation, receiving, and incidents in accordance with applicable legislations and standards
Compensation: $70,000/year
Role status disclosure: This is a newly created position within the organization.
AI-Free Hiring Process: This organization does not use artificial intelligence tools to screen, evaluate, or rank candidates at any stage of the recruitment process. All applications are reviewed by a human hiring team.
Pay: $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Discounted or free food
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
