Food Quality Assurance Manager

About Atomo

Atomo is a cutting-edge, Seattle-based, food-tech startup confronting the climate crisis by reinventing coffee for tomorrow. Founded in 2019, with offices in the heart of Seattle, Atomo is a place for innovative, creative, committed people to come together, learn from one another and leave this planet better than we found it. We have already reverse-engineered the coffee bean—producing outstanding cold brew coffee with over 90% reduction in both water and carbon footprints—and have even bigger plans for the future. Join us to help shape the future of coffee!

Core Values

At Atomo we believe that everyone has a critical role to play in how we change the future. We believe in Empowering Innovation through continuous learning while also honoring coffee traditions. We believe in being Stewards to the Planet by leading through example in everything we do and putting the planet over profits. We believe in Building Community by fostering an environment of psychological safety and always striving for a team of “we”. And we are committed to delivering an exceptional product and experience, every single time.

Job Description:

Join a dynamic team changing the future of the beverage industry. As Quality Assurance Manager  you will develop an exceptional Quality Assurance and Food Safety Program, including FSMA compliance, to be curated and maintained throughout the growth of Atomo’s operations. You are an expert in your field and understand the importance and excitement of working in a start-up environment, being flexible with timelines and direction.

As the leader of the QA team, you will bring strong strategic, analytical, relationship-building and communication skills to the table, reporting directly to the Head of Commercialization. In conjunction this position will also have responsibilities on the production floor working alongside the Production Supervisor to manufacture the world’s first molecular coffee.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop our basic food safety prerequisites, implementation of HACCP and FSMA requirements, and ultimately establishing Atomo SQF programs

• Implement and validate the policies and procedures that ensure Atomo complies with all federal, state, and company mandated regulations with regard to the manufacturing process and finished product

• Develop, maintain, and manage all of company’s food safety prerequisite programs (including but not limited to supplier approval, employee trainings, crisis management, recall processes, etc)

• Maintain FDA, GMP, FSMA/SQF compliance throughout company

• Enforce proper monitoring and sampling for each production process, raw materials, and finished goods from receipt of materials through outgoing finished  product loads.

• Establish policy and procedures for the Atomo Quality Management system, including training of staff  and documentation of all quality assurance processes.

• Have a significant presence on the production floor to understand processes, establish QA and Food Safety policy and procedures, and have a strong interaction with training QA and Food Safety requirements to production personnel.

• Collaborate with Facilities Manager to  establish, verify effectiveness, and train all relevant team members on Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures  for the production processes as well as the Master Sanitation Schedule for the facility.

• Co-manage external clients, suppliers, and co-manufacturer relationships with Head of R&D as well as Purchasing + Logistics Manager

• Aid the Production Manager and Head of Commercialization  with any additional projects as needed

Skills and Qualifications:

• FDA-recognized or equivalent job experience as Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI)

• Experience in implementing GFSI-recognized certification

• 2-5 years previous Quality Management experience in a food and beverage manufacturing environment 

• Experience partnering with contract manufacturing teams, including travel to manufacturing facilities

• Supervisory experience (preferred) 

• Self starter and motivated to take lead on projects- brings a sense of urgency

• Committed to being a team player and understands the importance of flexibility in a startup environment

• Function as the lead QA staff member 

• Understand the importance of good stewardship: teamwork, and community involvement

• The ability to consistently and quickly identify mistakes across thousands of inspections

• The ability to closely follow quality standards

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Technical proficiencies in Google Suite, Slack, Smart Sheets, and Quality Management Systems (preferred but not required)

• A great sense of humor, enjoys building comradery in the workplace and ready to rise to occasion of creating a new future for beverage manufacturing 

Physical Demands:While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to:

• Stand for extend periods of time 

• Walk, kneel, bend, crouch, crawl, and climb over equipment within the production area as well as loading zones

• Converse in a range of environments from loud production areas to office space.

• Ability to assist and perform production related tasks as needed

The employee must be able to: 

• Use hands and fingers to operate, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.

• Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, using proper bending and lifting. 

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include near and far vision, depth perception, color determination, hand/eye coordination, and hand/eye/foot coordination and the ability to adjust focus. 

• Other required capabilities include reading, calculation, measuring, planning, interpreting, explaining, and compiling data.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet, however louder noise levels may be experienced when production is occurring or when maintenance work is being performed. Environmental conditions in the plant include exposure to elevated surfaces, vibration, moving objects, noise, slippery floors, electrical hazards, heat, and mechanical hazards.

Additional Details: 

Pay Range: $90-$115k + Equity

Benefits: Generous PTO, Holidays, Medical-, Dental-, Vision- and Life- Insurance. Personal + Professional Development Program.