JOB FILLED - Manager, Food Safety & Compliance

Established in 1999, Pacific Trellis Fruit® is one of North America’s top year-round importers, growers and marketers of premium fresh fruit, including grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines and cherries. With the acquisition of Dulcinea® Farms in 2014, Pacific Trellis Fruit® added PureHeart® Mini Seedless Watermelons, Tuscan Style® Cantaloupe and SunnyGold® Yellow Mini Seedless Watermelons amongst other premium melons to its portfolio. Pacific Trellis Fruit is also featuring its sweetest new addition: Kiss Melons. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, the company also has sales offices in Fresno, CA, Gloucester, NJ and Nogales, AZ.

Not only do we do business globally, we also support global environmental and social responsibility programs. Pacific Trellis Fruit is committed to a greener planet by working with growers that are Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and Fair Trade Certified™.

Job Summary:
Candidates who have experience working in a highly fluid, dynamic environment will thrive in this position. Highly organized and task-oriented personalities are encouraged. Successful candidates will have a history of program development, implementation, maintenance, and effective communication. Candidates must also have ability to work with different departments and prioritize requests to ensure working efficiency.

A key management and compliance role, in defining the food safety program and strategy to ensure food safety operational requirements, policies, and procedures are in accordance with Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and applicable FDA and/or USDA regulations. Food Safety & Compliance responsibilities, includes all US-based operating locations such as warehouses and farms and international import compliance relating to the importation of third-party fruit import programs.

Develops, manages, and administers the company’s compliance, reporting and related processes to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and partner compliance in the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP).

Program compliance lead in Organic Farming Certifications, Global GAP, PrimusGFS, USDA, Social Responsibility, Food Security, and customer audits. Educates and advises senior management and trains employees on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). Administers business partner compliance web portals (i.e., COI’s, COA’s, item set-up, UPC, GTIN, item descriptions, etc.)

Responsibilities:

• Lead and direct GFSI Schematic, HACCP, GMP, SOP, SSOP, Sanitation, CDPH, and audits.
• Prepares, develops, and maintains Food Safety & Compliance (FSC) and related regulatory compliance, audit, training, communication, and business partner / third-party processes (i.e., on-line
• portal management).
• Main point of contact with vendor partners for food safety compliance and maintains and administers protocols and import permits.
• Facilitates and administers item set-up and database development and maintenance of internal/external
• ERP systems such as the methodology to manage item codes, UPCs and GTINs.
• Designs methods for appraising FSC conditions in warehouses, third party facilities, offices, etc.
• Inspects working conditions to ensure all products and activities are compliant with FSC guidelines and advises on corrective actions and ensures overall compliance.
• Establish and maintain the company’s Food Safety Management System by reviewing and implementing all applicable local, state, and federal guidelines as well as for international import.
• Manage internal and external audits. Coordinate with visiting customers and company departments to ensure the location audit readiness. Manage corrective actions and observations and ensure these are completed in a timely manner. Maintain records on internal audit observations and corrective actions.
• Review food safety standards and develop and/or maintain SOPs, policies, and procedures.
• Orders FSC and related equipment and supplies pursuant to operational and/or FSC requirements.
• Attends continuing education classes/seminars to ensure up to date knowledge.
• Key contributor and leader in developing and implementing corporate Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) initiatives and programs.
• Implement SSOPs and cleaning schedules and ensure sanitation is performed effectively.
• Develop, maintain, and train environmental swabbing program ensure proper sampling techniques that meet FSC and business partner program requirements.
• Develop and maintain a document control system. Ensure the process is efficient at maintaining accurate records and identifying any missing documents.
• Lead HACCP plan activities to ensure all the HACCP team has been trained, meetings are conducted to review and update the HACCP program.
• Review and recommend sanitary design projects and ensure new machinery/equipment is implemented that meets the sanitary design standards.
• Guides, designs and helps in the implementation of customer specific test and hold programs (i.e. Costco Test and Hold process).
• Other duties assigned as required*

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Collaborative and effective communicator in providing critical information across departments and operations internally and externally to the organization.
• Ability to multi-task timely, confidently, and comfortably in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work in both in a team setting as well as independently to meet deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and computer skills.
• Team player, assertive, friendly, and effective leadership skills required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work through conflict and effectively address issues.
• Ability to adapt and function effectively in a high-paced and high work volume environment.
• Strong working knowledge FDA/FSMA, USDA, CGMPs, GFSI, NOP/Organic, HACCP, FSVP, Recall Programs, CTPAT, and Department of Pesticide Regulation.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Fact-based decision-making ability.
• Flexible and open to a dynamic working environment and new ways of doing things.
• Ability to be on-call and to occasionally work extended days and/or weekends.

Education / Experience / Certifications:

• 3+ years of working import/export experience with USDA, CBP, FDA and CFIA regulations.
• Bachelor’s degree required in Food Microbiology, Food Science, related business subjects, or equivalent experience in a Food Safety Compliance role.
• PCQI, HACCP certifications (required)
• Working knowledge of GSFI (Primus, BRC, SQF, ISO2200) required.
• Bi-lingual Spanish (preferred)

Travel:

• Ability to travel overnight as required to other facilities and office locations.
• Ability to travel for extended periods of time to assist with company programs.
• Ability to travel to production, farming/growing and warehousing locations throughout the U.S.

Physical Requirements and Working Environment:

• Work in an office environment with prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, speaking on the phone, and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 45 pounds on occasion.
• Ability to work in extreme temperatures (cold 32-degree / hot 100-degree environments. Such as cold storage facilities and arid desert growing regions.

*Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required for this job.