Quality Assurance Technician at Kolb-Lena, Inc. – Lena, Illinois

Summary/Objective
This position is to help ensure that all products meet legal and company specifications for food safety and standard of identity before leaving the premises. This is accomplished by testing ingredients, in-process samples and finished product per Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products protocols and placing out-of-spec product on-hold immediately and reporting any deviations from specifications to the Manager.

Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Maintains the LIMS system by creating, updating, and removing product specifications as needed.
• Assists in new product and material evaluations and dispositions.
• Reviews daily processing and receiving data in LIMS system and identifies non-conformances.
• Performs monthly equipment verifications with DQCI standards for several pieces of equipment and confirms equipment has acceptable standard of deviation.
• Corrects inventory issues in SAP by identifying pallets not scanned in appropriately.
• Manages hold and release program by maintaining the Quality Holds Report, correctly marking product in SAP for determined dispositions, and completing daily product releases.
• Reviews finished product and environmental pathogen data from 3rd party lab reports, enters results, reports non-conformances to QA Manager.
• Collects finished product samples and submits for pathogen testing on a quarterly basis.
• Maintains EU conformance documentation for batches exported to the EU.
• Completes incoming raw material COA review against approved specifications and releases materials for use in SAP.
• Assists in daily sensory evaluation.
• Assists in data entry for monthly reports.
• Communicates and coordinates projects with operations and distribution teams for non-conforming products.
• Assists QA Manager with maintaining lab inventory and ordering supplies when needed.
• Serves as the site’s QA technical resource when the QA Manager is offsite by providing guidance and attending meetings as needed.
• Maintains regular, predictable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies
Job Knowledge
Quality of Work
Job Safety
Cost Control
Teamwork & Leadership
Inclusion & Communication

Supervisory Responsibility
This position has no supervisory responsibilities but can participate as a team leader in auditing activities to support the manager.

Work Environment
This position works in a lab environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines and works routinely with chemicals.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position, and hours of work vary depending upon shift but are Monday through Friday. Occasional off shift and weekend work is required.

Travel
There is no travel required with this position.

Required Education and Experience
• High school diploma/GED and 2+ years of experience working in a lab environment or BS degree in biology, microbiology or food/dairy science with no experience.
• Internal auditor training.
• Ability to speak, read, write and comprehend English.

Preferred Education and Experience
• Previous food industry experience, particularly in cheese and/or dairy applications.
• Knowledge of LIMS software.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
None is required for this position.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance
Eligible to work in USA.

Food Safety and Product Quality
This position is responsible for supporting the food safety management system and for communicating food safety issues to the Quality Department.

Affirmative Action Plan/Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Savencia Cheese USA provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. Further, the Company takes affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment without regard to any of these characteristics. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.