Quality & Food Safety Auditor

About this role

Company Description
Simple Mills is on a mission to transform the way food is made—creating nourishing products with astounding ingredients and amazing taste. Founded in 2012 by Katlin Smith, our brand has redefined center-aisle grocery by delivering better-for-you products made with unique, nutrient-dense ingredients. Today, we’re a category leader and the #1 natural brand in multiple segments, with distribution in over 30,000 stores nationwide.
Now, as part of Flowers Foods, we’re entering an exciting new phase of growth—expanding our reach, accelerating innovation, and amplifying brand awareness, all while preserving the integrity of what makes Simple Mills special. Our commitment to using simple, high-quality ingredients ensures that every bite is both delicious and nutritious. Whether it’s watermelon seed flour in our cookies or butternut squash in our crackers, we craft our products with innovative, wholesome ingredients that deliver extraordinary taste.
Our work has been recognized by Fast Company as a Brand That Matters and a Most Innovative Company, and has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Women’s Health, and NPR’s How I Built This. In 2024, Inc. named us one of its Best Workplaces, reflecting our dedication to fostering an inspiring and inclusive environment where passionate individuals can make a difference.
Join us as we shape the future of food. Learn more at www.simplemills.com.

Role Description
The Quality & Food Safety Auditor will be a critical role on the Supplier Quality team responsible for supporting the Simple Mills Quality & Food Safety risk mitigation strategy by leading and executing audits at Simple Mills partners (Raw Material Suppliers, Contract Manufacturers, Warehouses, etc.) and supporting the Quality department with the day-to-day requirements. The position will report to the Director, Supplier Quality and responsibilities will include:

• Develop and execute a risk-based supplier and external-partner audit program covering current and prospective ingredient suppliers, packaging suppliers, contract manufacturers, co-packers, warehouses, and other designated service providers.

• Travel to Simple Mills partners and prospective partners to conduct on-site food safety and quality audits, targeted risk assessments, CAPA verification visits, incident investigations, supplier-development activities, and other special projects.

• Plan, lead, and document announced and unannounced audits against Simple Mills requirements, applicable regulatory requirements, customer requirements, and relevant food safety and quality standards.

• Perform audit preparation and due diligence, including review of previous audit results, GFSI certification and reports, regulatory history, food safety plans, specifications, testing programs, supplier performance, complaints, nonconformances, and open corrective actions.

• Collect and evaluate objective evidence through facility observation, employee interviews, document and record review, traceability exercises, and evaluation of the effective implementation of food safety and quality programs.

• Prepare timely, accurate, and fact-based audit reports that clearly describe findings, objective evidence, risk, required corrective actions, accountable owners, and agreed completion dates.

• Lead audit opening and closing meetings, clearly communicating audit scope, findings, risk level, expectations, and required next steps to partner management and Simple Mills stakeholders..

• Evaluate corrective and preventive action responses, including root-cause analysis, containment, corrective action, preventive action, and supporting evidence; verify implementation and effectiveness before closure.

• Develop and maintain the annual audit schedule using ingredient risk, intended use, supplier performance, regulatory or certification history, audit findings, complaint trends, change activity, and other risk factors; monitor completion against the approved schedule.

• Assess the design and effective implementation of Quality programs, including food safety plans, preventive controls/HACCP, allergen management, sanitation, environmental monitoring, foreign material control, food defense, food fraud, traceability and recall, laboratory controls, incoming-material verification, specifications, change control, hold and release, and regulatory notification.

• Establish constructive, professional relationships with external teams and use audit findings, performance data, technical guidance, and follow-up activities to drive sustainable continuous improvement.

• Performs other projects as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant food-industry experience.

• 4+ years of comprehensive food safety and quality related experience

• The position requires on average 75% travel, with the potential to travel up to 90% for critical business needs

• Valid driver's license required.

• Ability to walk manufacturing facilities for extended periods of time.

• Ability to climb stairs, access elevated platforms, and navigate production and warehouse environments safely.

• Ability to regularly lift and move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) and comply with all facility safety requirements.

• Ability to travel frequently by air and automobile.

• Valid passport required, or the ability to obtain one.

• Experience conducting food safety, quality, supplier, GMP, or manufacturing-facility audits, including audit planning, objective-evidence collection, interviewing, report writing, classification of findings, and corrective-action verification.

• Experience with at least one GFSI-recognized food safety certification program

• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and must also effectively manage and execute changes

• Position…