At Yerba Madre, we're building more than beverages-we're building a movement rooted in community, sustainability, and connection. As Quality Program Manager, you'll play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of our food safety and quality programs, while championing collaboration and innovation across the teams that bring our products to life. This role blends regulatory excellence with values-driven leadership, with opportunities to make a lasting impact across our supply chain, product development, and consumer trust.
What You'll Do
You're a Great Fit If You...
Qualifications
Core Competencies
Work Style & Environment
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a cebador encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The pay range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors; actual pay offered may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Sales commissions and/or variable pay plans are also offered depending on the position (ex: monthly, quarterly, annual bonuses). Additionally, we offer a competitive benefits package including top-tier benefits, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, employee life and disability, mental health benefits, paid medical leave, paid company holidays, and paid time off, as well as opportunities for career growth and advancement within our team!
Salary Range
$80,000 - $100,000 USD
Yerba Madre-formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate-is the nearly 30-year pioneer of regenerative yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] and the category leader in ready-to-drink mate beverages across North America. The name Yerba Madre, meaning "Mother Herb," is a tribute to Mother Earth and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous communities who have cultivated yerba mate for generations -a reflection of the values the brand has championed since day one.
Headquartered in Sebastopol and Venice, California, Yerba Madre sources organic, shade-grown yerba mate in direct partnership with 255 family farmers and Indigenous communities across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Using its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, every purchase helps reforest the Atlantic Forest, support fair trade premiums, and build long-term economic resilience for grower communities.
In 2025, the brand became the world's first yerba mate to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified™ Gold® status--setting a new global standard for ecological integrity, cultural respect, and environmental restoration.
As an original founding member of the B Corp community and a founding member of the Purpose Pledge, Yerba Madre is committed to ethical business practices across ten key pillars, including climate positivity, living wages, circularity, and inclusion. Yerba Madre is available in over 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.YerbaMadre.com .
Yerba Madre is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
What You'll Do
- Lead and caretake Yerba Madre's food safety and quality programs-from ingredients and packaging to production and distribution-with a mindset of continuous improvement and integrity.
- Ensure we remain fully compliant with FSMA regulations, including Preventive Controls, cGMPs, HARPC/HACCP, allergen and sanitation programs, and third-party audits.
- Maintain alignment with Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requirements, particularly as we continue to grow our global sourcing partnerships.
- Be a strategic voice on the cross-functional New Product Development (NPD) team-ensuring food safety and regulatory standards are built into every step from concept to commercialization.
- Review and approve new ingredients and packaging materials in partnership with R&D and supply chain, ensuring all specifications meet internal and external standards.
- Serve as a trusted internal resource and subject matter expert on food safety trends, regulations, and certifications.
- Strengthen and maintain documentation systems (such as TraceGains) to ensure transparency, accuracy, and compliance across our supplier and product files.
- Develop and lead meaningful supplier and co-packer audit programs that reflect our values and commitment to quality partnerships.
- Contribute to mock recalls and traceability efforts-playing a key role in building systems that protect both our consumers and our brand.
- Partner across teams to identify and implement improvements that balance compliance, efficiency, and long-term growth.
You're a Great Fit If You...
- Enjoy translating complex regulatory concepts into clear, actionable strategies that help others succeed.
- Take pride in being organized, detail-oriented, and proactive-while also being approachable and open to feedback.
- Thrive in cross-functional environments where collaboration, communication, and transparency are key.
- Bring a continuous learning mindset and see every process as an opportunity to evolve and improve.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Nutritional Science, or related field.
- 5+ years of hands-on quality assurance experience in the food industry; experience with organic or natural products a plus.
- PCQI certification required; FSVP training strongly preferred.
- Strong working knowledge of FSMA, HACCP, and food microbiology best practices.
- Familiarity with TraceGains, Smartsheet, and ERP systems is highly desirable.
- Fluent written and verbal communication skills; bilingual in Spanish and/or Portuguese is a plus.
- Experience working with co-packers, ingredient vendors, and cross-functional teams including R&D and Operations.
Core Competencies
- Empathy & Collaboration: Builds trust across teams and creates space for shared problem-solving.
- Initiative & Curiosity: Eager to learn, ask questions, and drive change when something isn't working.
- Organization & Follow-Through: Manages multiple moving pieces with care and attention to detail.
- Resilience & Flexibility: Adapts gracefully to change and remains calm under pressure.
- Communication & Influence: Clearly communicates both technical information and broader purpose to diverse stakeholders.
Work Style & Environment
- Hybrid work structure with a mix of remote flexibility and time on-site as needed.
- Willing to travel up to 30%, with some short-notice flexibility.
- Ability to work at a computer, in a lab, and on the production floor.
- Occasional lifting up to 25 lbs using appropriate safety measures.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a cebador encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Perform work at a computer in a climate-controlled office setting. Work in an open-office environment. Prioritize and multi-task work and projects requiring good memory, concentration, and analytical thinking. Experience frequent interruptions and work under pressure of time with multiple priorities. Frequently work independently but required to interact or perform and communicate with others. Collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information.
- Will consider remote employment from one's home office only with exemplar track record of previous remote employment and high level of responsiveness in a virtual environment.
The pay range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors; actual pay offered may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Sales commissions and/or variable pay plans are also offered depending on the position (ex: monthly, quarterly, annual bonuses). Additionally, we offer a competitive benefits package including top-tier benefits, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, employee life and disability, mental health benefits, paid medical leave, paid company holidays, and paid time off, as well as opportunities for career growth and advancement within our team!
Salary Range
$80,000 - $100,000 USD
Yerba Madre-formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate-is the nearly 30-year pioneer of regenerative yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] and the category leader in ready-to-drink mate beverages across North America. The name Yerba Madre, meaning "Mother Herb," is a tribute to Mother Earth and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous communities who have cultivated yerba mate for generations -a reflection of the values the brand has championed since day one.
Headquartered in Sebastopol and Venice, California, Yerba Madre sources organic, shade-grown yerba mate in direct partnership with 255 family farmers and Indigenous communities across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Using its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, every purchase helps reforest the Atlantic Forest, support fair trade premiums, and build long-term economic resilience for grower communities.
In 2025, the brand became the world's first yerba mate to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified™ Gold® status--setting a new global standard for ecological integrity, cultural respect, and environmental restoration.
As an original founding member of the B Corp community and a founding member of the Purpose Pledge, Yerba Madre is committed to ethical business practices across ten key pillars, including climate positivity, living wages, circularity, and inclusion. Yerba Madre is available in over 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.YerbaMadre.com .
Yerba Madre is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.