Pairwise is a mission-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Pairwise was founded in 2017 by leading academics and investors and applies the Nobel-prize winning gene-editing technology to deliver consumer focused innovation in fresh food choices.  Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first product expected in early 2022.  Our team is backed by collaborative relationships with Bayer, recently closed $90 MM in funding, and is primed to deliver new varieties of produce through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture.   Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

This position will report to the Lead of Regulatory and Quality and will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to lead the ongoing development, implementation and improvement of our product quality through an effective Quality Management System for consumer produce products.

A well-qualified candidate has a background in food quality, particularly in produce related agriculture, experience with supply chains, exceptional people skills and a passion for quality management systems in a science-based organization. The role requires high attention to detail, initiative and foresight, how to work effectively with others and solid experience in quality assurance and control. The ideal candidate is a reliable and competent leader who can work with outside partners to assure the high quality of our operations so Pairwise can achieve the long-term success of our business.  Ideally, this role resides in CA or in NC.

 

Essential functions

• Ownership of external quality partnerships: creating aligned processes with a focus on ensuring compliance, products that meet business specifications and sustainable operations to achieve the highest level of business performance.
• Manage customer satisfaction: Partner with function leaders to assess product and process quality-related issues and trends and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensure product stewardship through management system implementation and appropriate incident response planning
• Draft standard operating procedures, KPIs and systems approaches for varieties of produce from the field to the market to meet business goals.
• Collect, analyze and summarize quality trends and data, compile information into reports, and proactively identify, prioritize, communicate and resolve quality issues for continuous improvement.
• Facilitate compliance and audit preparations to ensure successful audits and external certifications.
• Depending on location, travel may vary from 20-30% percent.

 

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years’ experience in food, produce or related field in quality and/or compliance.
• Thorough knowledge of quality assurance methodologies and standards.
• Experience developing SOPs, process flows, quality specifications and applying principles of quality management to drive safety and continuous improvement
• Leadership experience with great attention to detail and a results-driven approach.
• Excellent numerical skills and understanding of data analysis.
• Good knowledge of MS Office and databases.
• Demonstrated successful collaborations across teams.
• Ability to coach and mentor other team members to become adopters of culture, processes, and tools.