Quality Manager, Vendor Compliance - OLIPOP

About OLIPOP

At OLIPOP, we’re on a mission to positively impact consumer health at scale through a new kind of soda: one that’s delicious, refreshing, and actually good for you. With 6 to 9 grams of fiber and 2 to 5 grams of sugar, OLIPOP delivers science-backed benefits without sacrificing classic taste.

The Role

In this role, you will be intimately involved in the production process from start to finish. This starts with managing quality at premixing facilities and finished good co-packers. The Quality Manager will be responsible for the design and management of the quality systems used to assure food safety, regulatory compliance, and reliable product manufacturing across US suppliers, contract manufacturers, and fulfillment partners.

Responsibilities

Supplier Quality & Compliance

• Own the supplier qualification, approval, and compliance program, ensuring suppliers and materials meet established quality, food safety, regulatory, and business requirements.
• Lead supplier and material onboarding in partnership with Procurement, Regulatory, R&D, and Supply Chain.
• Establish and maintain risk-based supplier and ingredient assessments, considering material risk, manufacturing processes, supplier performance, and historical quality data.
• Lead supplier quality investigations, CAPAs, and escalations, ensuring effective root cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure supplier compliance with OLIPOP requirements, including the Supplier Expectation Manual, specifications, quality standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead supplier audits and facility assessments, driving continuous improvement through strong supplier partnerships.

Ingredient Quality Management

• Own the ingredient positive release program, including COA review, material disposition, and communication with warehouses and internal stakeholders.
• Establish risk-based ingredient testing and verification programs to ensure materials consistently meet established quality and food safety specifications.
• Oversee ingredient retain and traceability programs to support quality investigations and supplier performance evaluation.
• Lead ingredient nonconformance investigations and drive appropriate supplier corrective actions and material disposition.
• Monitor ingredient quality trends and variability to proactively identify and mitigate emerging risks.

Quality Systems & Document Control

• Own document control processes for Quality and Supply Chain documentation, including SOPs, forms, specifications, and work instructions.
• Establish and enforce standards for document creation, review, approval, version control, archival, and retention.
• Ensure supplier compliance records are complete, current, and audit-ready.
• Lead periodic document reviews with cross-functional process owners to ensure procedures accurately reflect current practices and requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement of quality systems and documentation processes to strengthen compliance, traceability, and efficiency.

Supplier Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and own supplier performance metrics and scorecards to monitor quality, compliance, recurring issues, and emerging risks.
• Establish supplier performance review and escalation processes, including improvement plans for high-risk or underperforming suppliers.
• Analyze supplier and ingredient quality trends to identify systemic risks and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain leadership on supplier approval, performance, escalation, and disqualification decisions.
• Provide leadership visibility into supplier quality risks, significant nonconformances, and unresolved corrective actions.

Requirements

• 6–8+ years of Quality Assurance or Supplier Quality experience in food and beverage (beverage experience preferred).
• 0–2 years of experience managing and developing technical team members.
• Demonstrated experience managing supplier qualification, compliance, risk assessments, audits, investigations, and CAPAs.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and quality systems, including GMPs, HACCP/Preventive Controls, GFSI standards, and FDA/FSMA requirements.
• Experience managing supplier onboarding, approval, and compliance documentation across TraceGains, FoodLogiQ, or FoodChain ID, keeping certificates, audits, and specifications current and audit-ready.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience analyzing quality and supplier performance data.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills with the ability to manage competing priorities, influence cross-functional partners, and drive supplier accountability.
• Adaptable, detail-oriented, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Ability to travel up to 20% to co-packers and key suppliers as needed.