FSQA Auditor at PEPPER SOURCE LTD – Van Buren, Arkansas

Job Title: Food Safety and Quality Assurance Auditor

Reports To: VP of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

FLSA Status: Exempt Salary

Mission: Earn respect by being the subject matter experts who effectively communicate and provide feedback to each other and our internal/external customers.

Summary Leads the food safety evaluation program including facilities, policies, and program execution, verifying all meet regulatory and customer requirements. Responsible for the food safety and regulatory assessments for all raw goods and suppliers. Creates audit templates, modifies, reviews, and communicates food safety policy and practices during all third-party and customer audits.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

The essential duties and responsibilities of the Food Safety Auditor include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluate food safety risks of Pepper Source vendors by reviewing documentation for regulatory and BRC compliance.
• Conduct audits of food safety programs, policies, documentation, and physical facilities.
• Develop, review, update, and communicate corporate food safety and quality expectations across the organization.
• Partner with FSQA leadership to support continuous improvement of food safety programs.
• Stay current on existing and emerging regulatory requirements and industry best practices and share relevant updates within the department.
• Plan and schedule travel and audit activities across company facilities and vendors.
• Assist in the development and revision of food safety programs and policies.
• Create, maintain, and update audit templates for internal, third-party, and customer audits.
• Manage internal audit processes, including corrective action responses from Pepper Source management.
• Maintain the internal audit schedule and provide quarterly status updates to the Vice President of FSQA.
• Lead third-party and customer audits and communicate required corrective and preventive actions for audit findings.
• Develop corrective action plans and improvement goals based on the annual Food Safety Culture Survey and validate effectiveness semiannually.
• Build working knowledge of regulatory and compliance software systems and related tools.
• Design and manage regulatory and compliance workflows within third-party software platforms.
• Develop and implement inspection criteria, procedures, and evaluation standards.
• Supervisory Responsibilities

No direct reports but may have supervisory responsibilities when filling in due to the absence of key personnel. Responsibility coverage includes both manufacturing locations.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Analytical — Uses intuition and experience to complement data, designs workflows and procedures.
• Design — Generates creative solutions; uses feedback to modify designs; demonstrates attention to detail.
• Problem Solving — Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Project Management — Coordinates projects; communicates changes and progress; completes projects on time and budget.
• Technical Skills — Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; pursues training and development opportunities; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; exceptional knowledge of food safety and quality systems including HARPC, Regulatory, and GFSI standards and expectations; shares expertise with others.
• Interpersonal Skills — Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things; able to foster interpersonal and business relationships.
• Oral Communication — Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; participates in meetings.
• Written Communication — Writes clearly and informatively; able to read and interpret written information.
• Teamwork — Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
• Quality Management — Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Business Acumen — Understands business implications of decisions; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Diversity — Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes a harassment-free environment; builds a diverse workforce.
• Ethics — Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.
• Organizational Support — Follows policies and procedures; completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values; benefits organization through outside activities; supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
• Strategic Thinking — Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization’s strengths and weaknesses; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Judgment — Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making process; makes timely decisions.
• Motivation — Sets and achieves challenging goals; demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; measures self against standard of excellence.
• Planning/Organizing — Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism — Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Quality — Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Quantity — Meets productivity standards; completes work in timely manner; strives to increase productivity.
• Safety and Security — Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly.
• Adaptability — Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality — Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Dependability — Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Initiative — Volunteers readily; undertakes self-development activities; seeks increased responsibilities; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.
• Innovation — Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others’ attention.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) preferred from a four-year college or university; associate degree (A.A.) with three years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience required at a minimum.

• Food Safety GFSI schemed certifications/training preferred
• Internal Auditor training preferred
• RedZone training preferred

Language Skills

Must be able to speak, read and write in English. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have basic knowledge of computers, knowledge of database, spreadsheet, word processing, and manufacturing software.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and moving mechanical parts. The employee is frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold and extreme heat. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Travel Required: Travel requirements up to 25% of annual scheduled time including out of state, overnight stays. Potential does exist of travel being out of the country, weekend, and extended stays.