"Food Safety, Quality Assurance & Business Compliance/Continuity Manager"

Overview

The Food Safety, Quality Assurance, & Business Compliance/Compliance role provides operational oversight and strategic leadership for all aspects of food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and regulatory compliance across Yale Hospitality’s residential dining, retail, catering and bakery operations. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and continually advancing a comprehensive safety and quality assurance framework that safeguards the health and well-being of the Yale community while ensuring consistent excellence in product quality and operational execution.

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Business Strategy & Operational Effectiveness, this role works closely with culinary, operations, supply chain, facilities, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Occupational Health & Safety (OHS), Sustainability, and University partners to ensure that Yale Hospitality meets and exceeds all regulatory, and university health and safety standards. The role also oversees incident response, vendor compliance, regulatory inspections, campus-wide safety training programs, and continuous improvement initiatives that position Yale Hospitality as a leader in food safety and responsible operations.

Food Safety Program Leadership

1. Develop, implement, and maintain an enterprise-wide food safety and quality assurance program grounded in HACCP, ServSafe, Allertrain and industry best practices.
2. Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal public health regulations, FDA Food Code, and university policies.
3. Establish QA oversight for all food production environments, including centralized production facilities, residential dining halls, retail operations, catering, bakery, and commissary functions.
4. Oversee allergen control programs, cross-contact prevention standards, ingredient handling protocols, and ongoing employee certification requirements (in collaboration with culinary and RD resources).

Sanitation, Health Standards, and Environmental Compliance

1. Design and maintain sanitation, cleanliness, and hygiene standards across all kitchens, FOH/BOH service areas, storage rooms, and loading docks.
2. Conduct regular internal audits, unit inspections, and risk assessments to verify compliance with Yale Hospitality policies and regulatory requirements.
3. Maintain comprehensive documentation systems to support audit readiness, traceability, and regulatory reporting.

Training, Education, and Culture Building

1. Lead the development and delivery of robust training programs including ServSafe food handler certification, allergen management, emergency procedures, and chemical safety.
2. Collaborate with Yale Environmental Health & Safety and the YH Health & Wellness program to embed safety culture across all staff levels.
3. Mentor culinary and front-line staff to ensure consistent understanding of protocols, reinforcing safety as a core operational value.
4. Implement training and monitor preventive measures to reduce workplace injuries, including ergonomic assessments, safe lifting practices, hazard identification, and proactive safety audits to maintain a healthy work environment.

Incident Management, Root-Cause Analysis, and Corrective Action

1. Lead investigations of foodborne illness reports, allergen incidents, contamination concerns, and critical operational failures.
2. Direct crisis response activities-including equipment failure, utility disruptions, boil water advisories, and product recalls-serving as a designated Co-Incident Commander and coordinating with SLT and operations.
3. Develop and track corrective and preventive action plans (CAPAs) to prevent recurrence and enhance systemic resilience.

Supplier, Vendor, and Supply Chain Compliance

1. Review and approve vendor certifications, product specifications, and third-party audit documentation to ensure alignment with Yale standards.
2. Conduct audits of supplier facilities when necessary, partnering with Procurement to assess risk, quality practices, and supply chain transparency.

Safety, Regulatory, and Facilities Partnership

1. Serve as Yale Hospitality’s primary liaison with the City of New Haven Health Department, Yale Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Facilities and Utilities, and Public Safety and Risk Management- Office of Emergency Management.
2. Coordinate compliance for refrigeration and temperature monitoring systems, equipment inspections, ventilation, pest control, waste handling, and OSHA-related initiatives (in conjunction with capital/asset teams).
3. Provide subject-matter expertise on kitchen design, equipment specification, and operational flow for renovation and capital projects.

Policy Development and Continuous Improvement

1. Establish and maintain Yale Hospitality’s standard operating procedures for food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, emergency management, and compliance documentation.
2. Monitor emerging regulatory changes, industry technologies, and higher education best practices to maintain a future-ready compliance ecosystem.
3. Lead continuous improvement projects-including process flow optimization, waste reduction initiatives, enhanced traceability tools, and digital compliance systems.

Leadership & Program Management

1. Supervise the food safety team (managers, supervisors, technicians), ensuring consistent training, development, and performance management.
2. Manage departmental budgets, audit schedules, program KPIs, and annual reporting.
3. Represent Yale Hospitality in university committees, cross-functional working groups, and external regulatory interactions.
4. Collaboration on capital projects, renovations, and equipment upgrades to ensure food safety is embedded from design through operation.
5. Include benchmarking against industry and peer institutions to measure program effectiveness, identify best practices, and drive continuous improvement. Use insights from benchmarking to inform strategic initiatives, set performance targets, and ensure Yale Hospitality maintains a best-in-class food safety and compliance program.

Required Skills and Abilities

Technical Competencies

1. Demonstrated expertise in food safety program development and regulatory compliance.
2. Strong knowledge of mechanical and facilities systems (HVAC, refrigeration, utilities, equipment maintenance) as they relate to food safety and operational reliability.
3. Proficiency with digital compliance platforms, temperature monitoring systems, and QA auditing tools.
4. Ability to interpret technical specifications, construction diagrams, equipment manuals, and health codes.

Leadership Competencies

1. Proven track record managing teams in fast-paced, complex, multi-unit environments.
2. Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional partners including Facilities, EH&S, Procurement, and University leadership.
3. Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
4. Commitment to fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Food Science, Environmental Health, Hospitality Management, or related field; equivalent workplace experience will be considered.
2. Minimum 4-6 years of progressively responsible experience in food safety, quality assurance, environmental health, or large-scale foodservice operations.
3. Extensive knowledge of HACCP, FDA Food Code, GMPs, sanitation systems, and foodservice operational safety standards.
4. Experience with compliance documentation, inspections, third-party audits, and incident management.

Required Education and Experience

Minimum requirement of Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.