Prairie AquaTech Manufacturing, LLC dba Houdek is a manufacturing company based in Volga, South Dakota, that is improving animal health and nutrition by providing high-quality feed ingredients. Using patent-pending technologies licensed on a worldwide, exclusive basis from South Dakota State University and developed internally, the Company is upgrading soybean meal to high-quality ingredients used in aquaculture and other animal feeds.

Position Summary

The Director of Quality is responsible for leading and continuously improving the company's Quality Management System (QMS) across all ingredient manufacturing operations. This role serves as a senior decision-maker with authority over product quality, regulatory compliance, and risk management, including oversight of the Management of Change (MOC) process. The Director of Quality exercises independent judgment to approve, reject, or halt changes that may impact product safety, quality, or compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Leadership & Strategy

• · Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of quality systems.
• · Establish quality objectives aligned with business strategy and regulatory requirements.
• · Act as the senior quality authority with final decision-making responsibility for quality-related matters.

Critical Decision-Making & Risk Management

• Make final determinations on product disposition, deviations, nonconformances, and recalls.
• Assess quality and compliance risks related to raw materials, suppliers, processes, and finished products.
• Independently decide when to stop production, reject materials, or escalate issues to protect product safety and regulatory compliance.
• Lead root cause investigations and ensure timely and effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Management of Change (MOC)

• Own and oversee the Management of Change process to ensure all changes are formally evaluated, documented, approved, and implemented.
• Assess quality, regulatory, and food/product safety risks associated with changes to materials, suppliers, equipment, processes, formulations, specifications, facilities, and systems.
• Serve as a required approver for all MOC requests with potential impact to quality, compliance, or customer commitments.
• Ensure cross-functional collaboration during change reviews and confirm appropriate validation, training, and documentation prior to implementation.
• Monitor post-change effectiveness and take corrective action when changes introduce unintended risk.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations and standards (e.g., FDA, FSMA, cGMP, SQF, Non-GMO Project, Proterra, and customer and regulatory requirements).
• Serve as the primary contact for regulatory authorities, certification bodies, and customer audits.
• Oversee audit preparation, execution, responses, and corrective actions.

Operations & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain to embed quality and risk-based thinking into operational decisions.
• Review and approve process improvements, equipment upgrades, and new product introductions through the MOC framework.
• Balance business needs with quality requirements using data-driven, risk-based decisions.

Supplier & Customer Quality

• Oversee supplier qualification, performance monitoring, and change management.
• Lead responses to customer quality concerns and ensure effective resolution of complaints.
• Support customer audits and quality reviews by demonstrating robust change management and decision governance.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Quality organization across QA, QC, and compliance functions.
• Promote a culture of accountability, disciplined change control, and proactive risk management.
• Ensure quality personnel are trained and empowered to support MOC, CAPA, and compliance activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Biology, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of quality leadership experience in ingredient, food, chemical, pharmaceutical, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience owning or governing Management of Change processes.
• Proven ability to make high-impact, independent decisions in complex or time-sensitive situations.
• In-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements and quality systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS) or certifications (ASQ, HACCP, PCQI).
• Experience managing change in regulated, high-risk manufacturing environments.

Key Competencies

• Decisive, risk-based decision-making
• Strong ownership of Management of Change and governance processes
• High integrity and independence
• Strategic leadership with operational credibility
• Lean Six Sigma
• Clear, confident communicator
• This position is not eligible for sponsorship

Compensation: Pay based on experience and education. Additional employee benefits include generous PTO, quarterly bonuses, 100% employee paid health, dental, vision, 15K basic life insurance, STD, LTD, 401K match, ten paid holidays, gym membership, yearly clothing allowance and more!

Prairie AquaTech Manufacturing, LLC dba Houdek is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.