AUI (Albert Uster Imports) is a privately held gourmet food company located in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD). Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select International markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions.
AUI is currently hiring for a Product Quality Manager responsible for managing AUIs total Food Safety & Quality Management system. The Product Quality Manager will hold primary accountability for AUIs achievement of the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) in the Warehouse & Distribution sector category. This role will lead the development and delivery of FSQA, customer complaint investigation/resolution processes, and services within all product lines offered by AUI to its customers.
The Product Quality Manger will communicate with top management on a monthly basis and ensure the Quality Department collaborates and communicates cross-departmentally with the Logistics, Purchasing, Innovation, Culinary, Customer Service and Marketing teams so that the food safety/quality control processes and results are understood and meet internal/external standards.
Fosters a high degree of customer loyalty through proactive pursuit and maintenance of the highest quality, and the communication of appropriate solutions to problems that may arise.
The ideal candidate will have a nuanced appreciation of quality assurance processes and a proven ability to link pertinent statistics to business decision making processes, the ability to use innovative approaches to resolve complex problems and a solid system understanding to identify improvement opportunities. This role will report directly to the AUI SVP Operations.
Job Responsibilities:
Requirements
Education
Experience
Certifications/Licenses:
Key Competencies:
Abilities: Ability to motivate others. Must demonstrate discretion, initiative, and follow-through, and have the ability to remain level-headed in challenging situations. Professional assertiveness is required when dealing with vendors or outside contacts. Excellent project management, customer management and prioritization skills.
This job requires a consistently high energy level and a proven ability to think quickly on ones feet. Must have a nuanced appreciation of quality assurance processes and a proven ability to link pertinent statistics to business decision making processes. Ability to use innovative approaches to resolve complex problems. Solid systems understanding and ability to identify improvement opportunities. Ability to react to situations with a strong sense of urgency.
Must be able to work independently and as a team-member within a multi-department organization. Must be able to prioritize multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail, balancing and satisfying competing deadlines and personalities, maintaining professionalism under pressure and in sensitive and difficult situations. Requires ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality (in interactions with both internal and external people) concerning all work-related information, plus the ability to maintain detailed records in computerized and paper record keeping and filing systems. Ability to know when to ask questions and when to take initiative.
Benefits
Founded in 1968, AUI Fine Foods (AUI) offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. AUI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roland Foods (Roland), LLC, a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners.