Job Description:
The Quality Assurance Technician is responsible for monitoring all aspects of the food product and manufacturing environment to ensure that quality and food safety imperatives are met. This individual draws from knowledge and skills in food safety, microbiology, and food science to assist the manufacturing team in achieving the company’s quality and food safety goals.
This individual is accomplished at record keeping and data collection and works closely with operations and other CQI staff to ensure that quality and food safety standards are achieved. This individual is comfortable working in the manufacturing environment as well as the laboratory. This individual may also support manufacturing and innovation initiatives as needed.
Compensation/Salary:
DOE
Responsibilities & Duties:
- Conducts routine quality and food safety checks, including but not limited to, pH, titratable acidity, sensory evaluation, environmental swabbing, inspection, and verification exercises
- Conducts and documents pre-operational and changeover inspection
- Conducts testing of all raw materials, WIP, and finished goods for conformance to quality and food safety standards
- Records all test and inspection results accurately on company forms and adequately documents corrective actions
- Communicates and collaborates regularly with Farmhouse Culture QA Supervisor, operations and other CQI peers to ensure that quality and food safety imperatives are met while ensuring efficient manufacture of finished goods
- Reviews daily quality monitoring documents for compliance with company policies and addresses issues as necessary
- Utilizes QA hold program as necessary to ensure that non-conforming products are separated from the supply chain for further evaluation
- Participates in routine facility GMP and safety audits and manages corrective action reports with cross functional leaders
- Participates in employee food safety training programs and records ro ensure that company policy is adhered to
- Supports consumer complaint investigations and works with other plant leaders to determine corrective action
- Participates in 3rd party audits as necessary
- Conducts equipment calibration, inventory management, and laboratory housekeeping duties
- Trains front line staff and implements new methods as necessary to ensure product specifications are achieved in manufacturing at all times
- Supports operations and innovation initiatives as needed
- Actively contributes solutions and new ideas
- Maintains employee safety, GMP, SQF standards and good laboratory practices at all times
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Fermentation Science, Microbiology, or equivalent.
- Previous food manufacturing or QA experience
- HACCP trained
Skills:
- Experience working in a food manufacturing environment
- Laboratory experience, basic laboratory technique, aseptic technique, good laboratory practices
- Experience evaluating technical documents
- Experience administering sensory evaluation tests
- Ability to record, organize, and interpret data
- Ability to communicate effectively in English to a diverse set of stakeholders in oral and written communication forms. Ability to communicate in Spanish is a plus.
- Demonstrated computing skills using business software such as Microsoft Office Suite and other business software.
- Knowledge of food quality and food safety systems
- Demonstrated time management, prioritization and project management skills
- The ability to take direction and work independently as well as collaboratively
- Record keeping, attention to detail, and cost control
- Self-motivated, creative and curious
- Critical thinking and idea integration skills
- Resilience in a rapidly changing environment
- Must have a positive attitude
- Must have a sense of humor
Physical Demands & Work Environment:
- Office, lab, manufacturing and warehouse environments
- Must be able to ascend and descend building stairways and ramps to reach job assignments and perform tasks required in job description
- Position requires frequent sitting or standing for long periods of time with occasional reaching, walking, lifting, grasping, bending and twisting
- Must be capable of understanding work instructions in English, both oral and written
- Must be able to distinguish colors in order to perform analysis
- Must be able to work over-time and weekends as needed
- Occasional travel required
