JOB TITLE: Director, Total Quality
JOB OVERVIEW:
Provide strategic direction and leadership for the execution of Darden's restaurant food safety, supplier food safety, product compliance, regulatory affairs, and food safety risk management programs. Lead the execution of Darden's restaurant and supplier food safety strategy through a team of Total Quality Managers, strengthening enterprise risk management, operational performance, and brand protection. Ensure effective policies, preventive controls, governance processes, and performance measures are implemented across the supply chain and restaurant companies to protect guests, team members, and brands. Serve as a trusted technical and business advisor to leadership by identifying emerging food safety, regulatory, supplier, and reputational risks and recommending practical mitigation strategies. Lead a team of Total Quality Managers responsible for executing restaurant and supplier food safety programs.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Organizational Leadership
-Lead, coach, and develop Total Quality Managers, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability.
-Build organizational capability and a strong succession pipeline through meaningful development plans, cross-functional experiences, coaching, and progressive leadership opportunities.
-Promote a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, sound judgment, proactive risk management, and constructive challenge.
Supplier and Product Safety
-Provide strategic oversight for supplier approval, qualification, auditing, monitoring, and compliance programs.
-Establish risk-based expectations for food safety, quality, allergens, traceability, regulatory compliance, and corrective action.
-Partner with Supply Chain and Culinary to incorporate food safety and quality requirements into sourcing, product development, specifications, and supplier agreements.
-Monitor supplier and product performance, identify emerging risks, and ensure timely escalation and corrective action.
-Ensure standard operating procedures are maintained, communicated, and consistently followed across all assigned programs.
Enterprise Leadership and Risk Management
-Partner with the Vice President of Total Quality to develop enterprise food safety strategy and lead its execution across restaurant and supplier programs.
-Translate enterprise strategy into objectives, performance measures, governance processes, and continuous improvement priorities that drive accountability and sustainable results.
-Advise leadership on emerging risks, regulatory developments, industry trends, and opportunities to strengthen food safety performance.
-Lead cross-functional initiatives that protect guests, support business continuity, and safeguard Darden's brands and reputation.
-Allocate resources and prioritize work based on enterprise risk, business needs, and restaurant company priorities.
Restaurant Food Safety
-Provide strategic oversight for restaurant food safety, sanitation, and audit programs, ensuring consistent execution and effective governance.
-Use audits, health department inspections, suspected foodborne illness, claims, and operational data to identify trends, systemic risks, and improvement opportunities.
-Ensure standard operating procedures are maintained, communicated, and consistently followed across all assigned programs.
-Partner with Operations leaders to develop practical, sustainable solutions that improve execution and reduce risk.
Regulatory and Crisis Management
-Maintain effective relationships with regulatory agencies, public health authorities, and industry organizations.
-Support cross-functional responses to food safety events, product recalls, regulatory actions, restaurant closures, and suspected foodborne illness incidents.
-Provide strategic oversight for recall, traceability, incident response, and crisis management programs.
REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS:
-Minimum of five years of relevant experience in food safety, quality assurance, public health, restaurant operations, food manufacturing, or supplier compliance, with demonstrated leadership experience and the ability to lead complex cross-functional programs.
REQUIRED EDUCATION:
-Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Public Health, Environmental Health, Microbiology, or a related discipline. An advanced degree is preferred.
OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS:
-Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risk and convert insights into action.
-Strong written and verbal communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
-Demonstrated innovation, adaptability, organization, attention to detail, and effective time and priority management.
-Strong interpersonal and listening skills, with the ability to understand diverse perspectives while maintaining standards and sound judgment.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
-Advanced knowledge of restaurant and supplier food safety, FDA and USDA requirements, HACCP, preventive controls, allergens, traceability, recalls, and crisis management.
-Registered Sanitarian (RS) or Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) designation.
- #LI-DNP
- #LI-Hybrid
- #LI-LE1