Innovation Quality Specialist

Innovation Quality Specialist

Are you passionate about food quality and eager to make a global impact? We're looking for an Innovation Quality Specialist to join a fast-paced, innovation-driven food company based in Chicago. In this role, you'll support plant trials both locally and internationally and help launch new products that delight consumers around the world.

What You'll Do:

• Lead and support plant trials and first production runs across global sites
• Collaborate with R&D to bring new innovations to life
• Ensure food safety and quality documentation is complete and compliant
• Validate lab results, manage vendor communications, and release product holds
• Develop Product Quality Standards and Quality Control plans
• Use SAP PLM and other tools to manage documentation and quality platforms
• Identify and drive continuous improvement opportunities in manufacturing
• Partner with factory teams to model and coach best practices
• Influence cross-functional teams to adopt quality standards and new ways of working

What You Bring:

• 12 years in food manufacturing
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, and food safety regulations
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or related field
• A collaborative mindset and a passion for innovation and quality

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Project management skills
• Strong communication skillsboth written and verbal
• Ability to provide efficient and concise project updates
• Cross-functional teamwork experience
• Bilingual Spanish preferred

Work Environment

The role involves traveling to local sites 2-3 times a week to support trial runs at plants as well as international travel 1-2 times a month. Flexibility for travel is non-negotiable and critical for this role. Ability to work remote when not traveling to various plants.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $30.00 - $34.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Chicago, IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 27, 2025.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing due to a disability, please email acta Lentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.