Executive Director of Quality Assurance

Executive Director of Quality Assurance

At Panda we all share a common mission: “deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.” We invest in our people because great people run great operations that will exceed our guests’ expectations. Talk to any of our associates and you will experience a culture dedicated to its mission and our five fundamental values - Proactive, Respect/Win-Win, Growth, Great Operations, and Giving.
Panda Restaurant Group includes the original Panda Inn fine dining restaurants, Panda Express, our fast casual Gourmet Chinese concept, and Hibachi San, our Japanese grill concept. The family owned and operated company is still run by founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng. Same store sales have increased every year since 1996 including over 6% in 2005, with total sales in excess of $900 million. Panda Express added 139 new locations in 2005 throughout the United States and will operate over 1,000 restaurants by 2007.
Panda offers excellent benefits and rewarding opportunities, from entry-level positions to management. We have restaurant positions available nationwide and support center positions in Rosemead, CA. Come join the nation's largest and fastest growing Asian restaurant company.
The Quality Assurance Department is currently seeking an experienced Executive Director of Quality Assurance to lead a team to develop, implement and execute effective quality management systems in relationship to all Panda business lines including Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi San. Establish effective communication vehicles and partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of business goals. Solidify infrastructure for supplier and distribution channels in order to minimize potential risk and ensure continuous delivery and monitoring of quality performance. Formalize supplier audits and random sampling of purchased goods and distribution chains. Advise current and new suppliers on improving quality performance and reducing costs and risks. Implement and maintain highly effective restaurant level Food Safety program. Manage QA team and serve as executive liaison to departments including Marketing, Operations, Purchasing and others. Travel will initially be at 35%.
REQUIREMENTS

Education:
BS in food science, Biology or related fields
Experience:
10-15 years of corporate QA leadership experience. Restaurant background is a plus.
Knowledge:
Strong technical knowledge of quality, statistics and the systemic application of these principles
Solid understanding of systemic effects of changes to operating processes within the restaurants
Ability to apply QA and Food Safety principles to real world problems in the restaurant
Knowledge of food manufacturing operations, supply management, and product preparation/cooking procedures and equipment operations
Thorough knowledge of safety, HACCP, FDA, USDA, GMP and regulatory requirements etc.
Knowledge of current industry and technical issues associated with food safety, nutrition, public health, environment, toxicology, biotechnology, and animal rights
Skills:
Project management - demonstrated ability to develop efficient planning methodologies and effective utilization of resources to achieve high value results.
Analytical – capable of assimilating large quantities of data, sorting relevant facts from background noise, and provide concise, cogent descriptions of situations.
Leadership – proven track record of building effective teams and performance management.
Flexible – able to adapt to rapidly changing situations and priorities. Comfortable manipulating concepts to fit new situations.
Consistent – maintain repeatable systems that function consistently over time.
Communication – capable of delivering challenging/constructive feedback to suppliers or internally and maintaining steady direction yielding right results quickly.
Collaborator – ability to influence individuals across diverse functions to gain support and meet established objectives.