Food Safety & Quality Specialist
ABOUT FISHWIFE
Fishwife is a woman-founded and led food company aiming to make ethically-sourced, premium, and delicious tinned seafood a staple in every cupboard. We source from responsibly managed fisheries and aquaculture farms to bring the vibrance of conservas culture to the North American table. We launched in December 2020 and have been feature by publications like The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Forbes, Vogue, LA Times, INSIDER, and many more.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Food Safety & Quality Specialist owns the program end to end: our food safety plan, seafood HACCP importer verification and FSVP, product specifications, certificates of analysis and lot release, supplier approval and audits, complaint and quality claim resolution with our canneries, and our recall and traceability program. You will decide whether a lot ships, you will be the person a cannery hears from when product does not meet spec, and you will lead us if product ever has to come off the shelf. This is an expert role on a small team. You will inherit a working foundation and will be expected to turn it into a system that is bulletproof everyday and still holds when our volume doubles.
This position is a full-time, remote role reporting to the Product Development & Quality Manager.
SCOPE OF OWNERSHIP
- The food safety plan and quality management system, including seafood HACCP importer requirements and FSVP
- Product specifications, COA review, and lot release for every finished good and critical ingredient
- Supplier and co-manufacturer approval, verification, and audits
- Consumer and customer complaints, CAPA, and quality claim resolution with our canneries
- Recall, withdrawal, and traceability readiness, including mock recalls
- Quality and compliance documentation that is organized, current, and retrievable on demand
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Food Safety Program, Recall & Compliance
- Own, maintain, and annually reassess our food safety plan and quality management system, including importer obligations under the FDA seafood HACCP regulation (21 CFR Part 123) and our Foreign Supplier Verification Program as needed
- Own recall readiness: maintain the recall plan, lead the recall team in an event from hazard assessment and classification through FDA and customer communication and effectiveness checks, and run mock recalls at least annually, closing every gap they expose
- Maintain lot code standards and one-up, one-down traceability from cannery through our 3PL to the customer, and turn regulatory changes in FSMA traceability, labeling, and allergens into specific actions for the team
- Keep every spec, COA, certificate, audit report, and import document current and retrievable within minutes across FoodLogiQ, TraceGains, and our Quality & Food Safety Hub, so Fishwife is audit-ready on any given day
Product Quality & Lot Release
- Own product specifications end to end, from creation and version control to alignment between internal, cannery, and customer specs, with specs and release criteria set for every new item before first production
- Accountable for the release COA standard by product and hazard, such as histamine, water activity, pH, seam integrity, and microbiological results where applicable, and hold every cannery to it
- Review COAs and production records for every lot before release, and make and document each hold and release decision
- Run verification testing with accredited third-party labs, including shelf-life validation, and serve as the internal authority on quality and food safety questions from Sales, Marketing, and Product Development
Supplier Quality, Complaints & Claims
- Own approval, reverification, and audits for canneries, co-manufacturers, and critical ingredient and packaging suppliers, including review of third-party certifications (BRCGS, SQF, IFS) and a supplier quality scorecard that measures performance rather than remembering it
- Own the complaint management program with Customer Experience, investigate root cause, and drive corrective and preventive action to close with the responsible partner
- Resolve quality claims with canneries: document the defect, quantify the impact, and recover credit or replacement product while keeping the relationship strong
- Prepare Fishwife for customer, retailer, and regulatory audits, report quality KPIs with the decision each trend calls for, and write the SOPs a support resource can run under your direction
REQUIREMENTS
- This is not an entry-level role, we are looking for experts who can fill this position as an individual contributor
- 5+ years in food quality assurance or food safety, owning a program rather than supporting one
- Has personally written or rebuilt a HACCP plan and kept it current through verification and reassessment
- Seafood HACCP certified and PCQI trained, or able to complete both within 90 days of starting
- Deep, hands-on recall experience: has led or co-led a recall, market withdrawal, or full mock recall, including classification, regulator and customer communication, and effectiveness checks
- Experience managing quality at co-manufacturers or contract packers, ideally including international partners
- Working fluency in the FDA requirements that govern imported, shelf-stable foods, including FSMA, FSVP, and preventive controls
- Experience preparing for and hosting third-party, customer, and regulatory audits
- Exceptionally organized with documentation, and comfortable in a role that is, by design, heavy on paperwork
- Written communication that holds up with an external partner: clear, specific, respectful, and firm on the standard
Nice to have
- Seafood or canned goods experience, especially with histamine-forming species, low-acid canned foods, or Better Process Control School certification
- FSVP qualified individual experience, and familiarity with import entry, FDA holds, and customs documentation
- Experience at a smaller or fast-growing brand where you built the program rather than inherited it
- A degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field
- Spanish or another language spoken by our partner canneries
KEY TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
Notion, Google Workspace, FoodLogiQ, TraceGains, Cin7 (ERP and lot tracking), Gorgias (consumer complaints).
FISHWIFE VALUES
At Fishwife, our four core values shape both our daily actions and our long-term vision. We aim to build a delightful world with intention and creativity, constantly surprising and inspiring our community. We are committed to being fantastic partners to everyone we work with—inside and outside the company. We embrace autonomy, trust, and proactivity, empowering each team member to think and act like an owner. And through it all, we move like water—navigating change with resilience, adaptability, and grace.
COMPENSATION
We offer a competitive salary package, strong health benefits, and an unlimited vacation policy.
Fishwife seeks individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to join our company. BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals are highly encouraged to apply.
