Amazon is seeking an experienced Food Production Process Implementation and Product Quality Supply Chain Manager (L6) to lead cross-functional programs ensuring batched recipes are produced accurately and scale correctly across Whole Foods Market food production facilities. This role combines deep expertise in food manufacturing process implementation, product quality assurance through visual and sensory analysis, and operational troubleshooting to deliver consistent, high-quality products across our fresh food production network. The ideal candidate will partner with process engineers, commercialization teams, and program managers to drive successful process implementation while working directly with site managers to resolve production challenges and support general facility operations.
Key job responsibilities
Recipe Scale-Up and Process Implementation
• Lead end-to-end process implementation for batched recipe production, ensuring recipes scale correctly from test kitchen through pilot runs to full facility production volume
• Partner with process engineers to validate production workflows, equipment configurations, and batch parameters during recipe scale-up and ongoing production
• Collaborate with commercialization and program management teams to align process implementation timelines with product launch schedules and business requirements
• Develop and maintain standardized process documentation including production SOPs, scale-up guidelines, and batch production procedures for facility teams
• Conduct process validation activities from pilot through full commercial production, troubleshooting formulation, process, and equipment challenges to ensure successful launches
• Lead cross-functional teams through stage-gate processes ensuring all technical, quality, and operational requirements are met prior to production handoff
• Build mechanisms to capture and share process implementation best practices across production facilities
Product Quality Assurance and Sensory Analysis
• Own product quality assurance through systematic visual inspection and taste analysis protocols, ensuring finished products meet Whole Foods Market quality standards and culinary specifications
• Manage tasting schedules and sensory evaluation processes, coordinating with cross-functional stakeholders to document findings and drive corrective actions when product quality deviates from standards
• Drive root cause analysis when product quality deviations occur and implement corrective action preventive action (CAPA) initiatives to prevent recurrence
• Develop quality performance metrics and product quality scorecards that provide visibility into production consistency, sensory evaluation results, and quality trends across facilities
• Ensure all production processes comply with food safety regulations including HACCP, GMP, and applicable quality management standards
• Partner with commercialization teams to validate that scaled production output matches the culinary intent and gold standard recipes established during development
Site Operations Support and Troubleshooting
• Work directly with site managers to troubleshoot process implementation issues, production variances, and recipe execution challenges at the facility level
• Support general facility operations by identifying process improvement opportunities, optimizing production efficiency, and assisting with operational needs across the building
• Lead on-site process change management, ensuring facility teams understand and can execute new or modified production procedures
• Develop contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies to address potential production blockers and operational challenges at each site
• Lead post-implementation reviews and capture lessons learned to continuously improve process deployment methodologies and production playbooks
Stakeholder Management and Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with process engineers, commercialization teams, quality assurance, food safety, and operations leadership to drive aligned process implementation priorities
• Build consensus across diverse stakeholder groups including site managers, program managers, and engineering teams
• Communicate progress, challenges, and outcomes effectively through narratives, presentations, and status reports
• Drive mindful discussions that lead to crisp decisions, balancing competing interests and trade-offs between quality, throughput, and cost
• Serve as a mentor and coach to less experienced team members on production processes, quality standards, and troubleshooting methodologies
Data-Driven Decision Making
• Track and report on process implementation milestones, quality metrics, and production performance using established tools and reporting mechanisms
• Analyze production data and quality metrics to identify trends, improvement opportunities, and process optimization targets
• Regularly review performance metrics and proactively seek improved data mechanisms for visibility into process implementation progress and product quality
• Contribute to OP1/OP2 narratives and own organizational goals related to process implementation and product quality excellence
A day in the life
• Position may require up to 50% travel to food production facilities for process implementation, troubleshooting, and quality audits
• Significant time on manufacturing floor observing production processes, conducting quality assessments, and engaging with facility teams
• Ability to work in food manufacturing environments including temperature-controlled areas, production kitchens, and processing floors
• Flexibility to work various shifts as needed to support manufacturing operations and production launches
• Occasional evening or weekend work during critical production launches or process implementation phases
• Flexibility to work across time zones supporting multiple production facilities
