Quality Assurance & Regulatory Lead

We’re Tovala, a food-tech company reinventing home cooking to save consumers time. Through an innovative combination of hardware, software, and fresh food delivery, we make it incredibly simple for anyone to prepare and enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without sacrificing time to do whatever matters to them. Through our superior technology, product experience and food quality, we have separated Tovala from the busy pack of other meal delivery businesses. In the process, we’ve amassed a loyal, rapidly growing following and our retention, product engagement and customer NPS are all best-in-class. We’ve raised over $100mm from great investors like Left Lane Capital, Origin Ventures, Y Combinator and Comcast Ventures and have invested strongly in building a unique culture that fosters growth, personal development and camaraderie.

Location: Pershing, Chicago | Chicago Metro Travel: 25–50%

Role Summary:

The Quality Assurance & Regulatory Lead 1 is responsible for performing quality and safety verifications throughout production, leading QA technicians/specialists, and assisting the FSQA Manager with maintaining and developing Tovala's internal quality and safety programs. Based at our Pershing, Chicago facility, this role will travel between Tovala's two Chicago-area manufacturing locations to ensure understanding of the Tovala food safety program and help ensure a smooth transition to the new facility expansion.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Lead and support QA Technicians and Specialists by providing training, guidance, scheduling support, and backup coverage during absences or staffing shortages. Adjust staffing schedules based on production and operational needs.

Perform routine food safety and quality checks including weight verification, temperature monitoring, sleeving verification, receiving inspections, pre-operational and post-operational inspections, and project changeover swabbing.

Review FSQA and production documentation daily to ensure accuracy, compliance, and completion. Responsible for holding and releasing questionable products or ingredients and making routine decisions regarding product deviations.

Conduct and support internal audits and compliance programs including GMP, glass and brittle plastic inspections, environmental monitoring, monthly facility audits, mock recalls, and third-party audits.

Lead site environmental monitoring programs, including selecting swab sites, collecting samples, coordinating third-party laboratory pickups, implementing corrective actions and filling out non conformance reports as needed.

Assist the FSQA Manager in maintaining and continuously improving site food safety and quality systems, including SOP development, CAPA follow-up, customer complaint investigations, product testing projects, internal audits, and employee training for Production and FSQA teams.

Maintain and enforce site FSQA programs and ensure company food safety and quality policies are consistently implemented and followed. Promote and support a strong food safety culture across the facility.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Production, Sanitation, Inventory, R&D, and Procurement on daily operations, troubleshooting, and special projects.

Maintain flexibility with scheduling; position is primarily day shift but may require night shift, weekend, or overtime work based on business needs.

Identify and maintain relationships with the customer service team to address customer inquiries and concerns.

Conduct reviews of non-conforming material (raw and finished product) to ensure product control is maintained and corrective actions are developed.

Document quality assurance activities and generate audit reports.

Administer training and development programs on quality assurance / production team, including recall procedures and special SQF projects.

Answer regulatory questions and support compliance requirements.

Assists in establishing nutritional data in coordination with the Research and Development Group as needed.

Perform other duties as assigned by the FSQA Manager.

Competencies:

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality management systems.

Excellent communication and interpersonal speaking skills.

Detail oriented, accurate and excellent record keeping skills.

Good judgement and decisiveness skills.

Ability to read laboratory and scientific reports.

Education, Experience, Licenses and Certifications:

Associate degree, a Bachelor of Food Science Degree preferred.

HACCP certification required.

2 years of food manufacturing experience is preferred.

Working knowledge of quality assurance tools, methods, and concepts.

Project management skills.

SQF and PCQI Certified preferred.

Physical Demands:

Able to lift, push, or pull up to twenty-five (25) pounds.

Able to stand, bend, lift, and move intermittently during shifts of 8+ hours.

Comfortable working in cold temperature environments in a warehouse and cooler.

Must be able and willing to work in refrigerated coolers and freezers.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Lead and mentor 1-10 employees.

Plans, assigns, and approves work.

Food Safety Responsibilities:

Report any food safety and quality problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.

Follow and uphold procedures outlined in the Food Safety Plan and the Food Quality Plan and any other programs that support the SQF system and other 3rd party programs/audits.

Responsible for taking necessary action on all food safety and quality problems reported or observed.

Ensure a trained designee is appointed to cover for absences or vacancies.

Work Environment

Production: Space can be crowded with manufacturing equipment. Must remain aware of Forklift traffic. Noisy; some areas can be dusty. May encounter extremes in temperatures.

Facilities: This role will require some travel between both production facilities, with a majority of time spent in the home production facility in Pershing.