Vice President of Quality

The Vita Coco Company, created in 2004 by Co-CEO Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, produces the leading brand of coconut water in the United States with a growing presence around the world.

In 2021, The Vita Coco Company became a publicly traded, Public Benefit Corporation. With a growing portfolio of natural products, The Vita Coco Company has identified its public benefit purpose as creating ethical, sustainable products that uplift communities and do right by our planet by harnessing and protecting nature's resources.

In 2022, The Vita Coco Company was certified as a B Corporation™ furthering the Company's commitment toward operating its business as a force for good, while delivering better-for-you products.

Vita Coco is headquartered in New York City with international offices in London and Singapore. The Company is Nasdaq-listed under ticker symbol COCO.

The Vita Coco Company is seeking a Vice President of Quality . The Vice President of Quality will serve as a strategic leader and coach, responsible for defining and driving the global quality vision, culture, and systems across Vita Coco's supply chain. This role oversees both operational and corporate quality functions—ensuring the delivery of best-in-class products and customer experiences, while upholding the highest standards of governance, regulatory compliance, and product integrity expected of a publicly traded, mission-driven company. The VP will foster a high-performance, globally aligned team and lead efforts around traceability, risk mitigation, reporting, and transparency for both internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Team Development

• Define and champion a global quality vision aligned with business growth, sustainability goals, and stakeholder expectations.
• Develop a robust people strategy for the Quality function, including coaching, succession planning, and capability building across regions.
• Foster a performance culture grounded in accountability, agility, and continuous improvement.

Corporate Quality Governance for a Public Company

• Establish and maintain rigorous corporate quality systems that support financial reporting, regulatory disclosures, and ESG accountability.
• Lead enterprise-wide risk management programs related to product quality, consumer safety, and supply chain integrity.
• Ensure alignment with board-level audit and compliance requirements, and act as a subject matter expert for cross-functional corporate initiatives including sustainability, recalls, and public filings.

Global Quality Systems & Standards

• Harmonize and standardize quality processes, systems, and KPIs across global operations.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety, labeling, and regulatory standards across domestic and international markets.
• Oversee both internal and third-party audits and drive alignment across manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, and suppliers.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead quality-driven continuous improvement programs with measurable results in product performance, cost optimization, and customer satisfaction.
• Implement tools for proactive monitoring, analytics, and early warning of product or process deviations.
• Partner with R&D and Supply Chain to embed quality in the product development lifecycle and manufacturing expansion efforts.

Customer & Supplier Partnership

• Build and strengthen strategic supplier quality programs and co-manufacturing relationships.
• Oversee resolution of customer complaints and systemic issue management; ensure corrective actions are swift, effective, and transparent.
• Maintain and evolve supplier scorecards, customer feedback loops, and quality performance dashboards.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Master's degree preferred; Bachelor's in Food Science, Microbiology, or related technical field required.

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in quality management within food and beverage; experience in a publicly traded company preferred.
• Expertise in global compliance, quality governance, and audit readiness for public or regulated companies.
• Proven success in leading geographically dispersed teams and aligning cross-functional partners across cultures.
• Strong business intelligence and data fluency; experience with PowerBI, ERP systems, and quality analytics tools.
• Project management capabilities and experience in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally.

You Are:

• A strategic leader who understands both operational detail and the broader business context.
• A coach and culture builder who empowers teams and champions collaboration.
• An advocate for transparency, accountability, and the consumer experience.
• Agile and comfortable in entrepreneurial environments, while upholding the standards of a public company.
• Passionate about using quality as a force for good—for customers, communities, and the planet.
  

At The Vita Coco Company, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to: skill set, experience, education, training, licensure and certifications, knowledge and abilities of the applicant, alignment with market data, and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current pay range for this position is $180,000 - $225,000. This range may vary for positions that will be performed outside of California, Colorado, Nevada, New York City, Westchester County, NY, Rhode Island, or Washington.

The Vita Coco Company is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, military service, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.