QA / QC Associate

Summary

The Quality Assurance Associate is responsible for ensuring optimum quality products through completing proper cleanup and sanitation tasks by following regulatory standards, and company policies, ensuring the product and process are both clean and sterile. The role will also play a important role in identifying critical check points to ensure optimal product quality and specifications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsibility includes the management of activities for the safety, integrity, legality, and quality of our food products
• Assists the QA Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager, Food Safety Officer, Plant Chemist and R&D Department to obtain FSSC Certification and excellent audit ratings. Implements quality management and food safety systems to assure adherence to FSSC to meet product specifications, regulatory compliance and plant and corporate policies and procedures
• Follows all company policies and procedures
• Aid local and corporate management in carrying out changes to the food safety system of the facility; give assistance in creating, reviewing, authenticating, and maintaining food safety system documents, including standard operating procedures (SOPs) and programs working in collaboration with the quality assurance team; aid in maintaining document registers and documentation
• Provide daily monitoring of facility and personnel to ensure compliance to the food safety system of the facility; perform formal audit on GMP
• Ensure training of facility personnel on GMPs, Risk Preventive Controls, Hazard Analysis, pre-requisite programs, and other applicable food safety system elements as required; find out new areas trainings are required
• Collect and analyze product samples as required, as well as document information derived from analysis
• Conduct chemical testing, microbiological testing, co-sampling, and physical specification compliance testing as required
• Microbiological tests may include APC, E. coli, Coliform, particle size, Yeast, testing for mycotoxin presence/levels, and Mold
• Responsible for recording and submission all shipped samples to outside labs for further analyses as requested; establish professional relationships with external labs used by the facility
• Responsible for maintaining special sampling requirements for company and customers and when required analyze/submit samples
• Safely keep records of all facility analytical results; immediately report results discovered to be out of specification to the plant manager and the quality assurance manager; provide documented reports of analytical results to the operations manager, QA manager, and plant manager; also responsible for tracking and reporting data trends
• Perform calibration and maintenance of laboratory equipment, and ensure general good lab procedures
• Responsible for maintaining the right lab supplies and QA inventory, and for ordering needed supplies
• Responsible for creating certificates of analysis (COAs) for products that have been analyzed as required; maintaining data on nutritional analyses; maintaining labelled, organized retention samples of all products that have been analyzed as well as the sample library log
• Aid in reviewing process controls for the facility as well as the monitoring of records for the sanitation process control; make report of any noticeable deviation or potential hazards in standard operating procedures or the process controls to the quality assurance manager and the plant manager
• Perform sanitation efficacy monitoring in the facility, such as swabbing and visual inspections
• Aid in updating and implementing facility sanitation plans in collaboration with facility management and quality assurance management
• Ensure all finished products immediately after production are put on hold pending when all required analysis is performed; release all products for commerce that meet required specification after analysis have been performed on them; while reject and dispose all products that were found to be out of specification after being analyzed
• Responsible for inspecting incoming raw materials; assisting in investigating non-conformance and complaint about product; and provide leadership for the facility team in performing self-audits
• Ensure communication with third-party firms providing services to the facility, such as pest control contractors
• Perform water testing; establish quality assurance related SDS library; participate in ensuring applicable regulatory, customer, and company requirements are met
• Aid in hosting visitors to the facility, including regulatory agency representatives and customer representatives, function as main host for the facility’s third-party auditors
• Aid in ensuring that applicable certifications such as Non-GMO, Kosher, Organic, and Halal are maintained
• Other duties as assigned

• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
• BRC, SQF or GFSI, FSSC experience preferred
• Prior Kosher understanding and experience preferred
• Advanced computer skills to include MS Word & Excel preferred
• Strong knowledge of general food safety programs and policies, to include government regulations, OSHA, FDA, USDA, AIB, HACCP, GMP, TTB and Allergen Program
• Must be willing to work flexible hours including overtime, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to work in a demanding environment and work effectively in a team environment
• Must be able to pass all pre-employment screens (including drug, background, and criminal checks)
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical procedures
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations
• HS diploma required. Some college preferred.

Physical Tasks Reference & Minimal Requirements

• Must be able to able to stand, walk, bend, stoop, climb and crouch most of the day
• Must be able to lift fifty pounds occasionally
• Must be able to work in a wet environment with exposure to dust, gas or fumes and cleaning chemicals
• Ability to wear a company-provided uniform, and PPEs (hairnet, gloves, smock, covered and slip resistant footwear)

Environmental Factors - Safety is First Our employees are our most valuable resources. If hired, all employees must follow and adhere to departmental GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) and Safety Protocols.

• The position primary work area is onsite, production floor and in a lab setting

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We are a diverse workforce. We fully support and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. Be you, respectfully. We firmly commit to Equal Employment Opportunity, affirmative actions, and comply with Federal, State, and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, gender, race, national origin, color, disability, protected veteran status, and other protected classifications.