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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

Manager, Food Safety (Corporate)

Work Location: Chicago

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

As a Manager, Food Safety at Ferrara, you will design, implement, and oversee corporate food safety policies across our global network of facilities including North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. In this role, you will ensure compliance with local, state, federal, and international food safety regulations, while driving continuous improvement in our manufacturing, co-manufacturing, and warehousing locations. This role will require up to 50% travel.

Ways you will make a difference

Develop and support Ferrara’s corporate Food Safety, Quality, and Compliance programs, ensuring policies and procedures meet regulatory and industry standards.
Ensure implementation of programs, monitors and trend food safety Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for compliance and process effectiveness.
Lead risk assessments for products, raw materials, and packaging, and oversee food safety considerations in change management and trial requests.
Manage and audit compliance to cGMPs, GFSI, FSMA, and HACCP requirements, ensuring strong technical systems are in place.
Stay ahead of emerging food safety issues and provide proactive guidance to cross-functional partners.
Design and implement mitigation strategies for risks related to foreign material, microbiological, allergen, and chemical contaminants.
Facilitate food safety incident investigations and provide technical recommendations, escalating to Senior Director, Food Safety as needed.
Work with cross-functional partners to ensure food safety risks are adequately mitigated throughout the supply chain.
Lead the annual food safety factory GEMBA walk focused on fostering cross-functional collaboration and identifying areas of improvements in foreign material, microbiological and allergen management.
Oversee the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the GFSI standard, including food safety fundamentals in accordance with FSMA regulations.
Provide adequate support to the factories to foster preventative approach, continuous improvement and facilitate implementation of mitigation strategies.
Host the monthly connect with all facility quality managers to evaluate and discuss food safety KPI trends, emerging trends in the industry and other food safety updates.

Skills that will make you successful

Strong knowledge and practical experience with GFSI standards such as FSSC22000.
Certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, Six Sigma or auditor credentials.
Proven expertise in risk assessment, auditing, and food safety systems in manufacturing environments.
Experience with process validation and data analysis.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.
Knowledge of international food safety regulations (U.S., Canada, and beyond) strongly preferred.
Additional language skills (Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Thai) are a plus.

Experiences that will support your success

B.S. or M.S. in Food Science, Microbiology, or related technical field.
5+ years of progressive food safety experience with proven leadership and technical expertise.
Experience working in a food manufacturing plant.
Experience managing multi-site programs and influencing both corporate and plant teams.
Flexibility to work across multiple time zones and adapt to global business needs.
Experience with process validation, data trending, and use of digital food safety/QMS tools (e.g., SAP, Redzone, Neogen Predictive Analytics, Tracegains).

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $99,600 to $139,440 annually.

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.

Nearest Major Market: Chicago