Objective: Ensures the highest standards of food safety and product quality are maintained throughout the production process. This includes conducting routine inspections, calibrating equipment, performing audits, and supporting the plant’s overall quality assurance efforts in compliance with regulatory and company policies. Responsible and a strong compliance to Food Safety and Employee Safety.

Key Responsibilities:

• Food Safety & Product Quality Management: Implement and enforce food safety, product quality, and SQF practices throughout the organization. Lead the site as the SQF Practitioner, ensuring compliance with the SQF Program and regulatory requirements.
• Safety & Compliance: Foster an environment focused on personal safety and ensure compliance with safety protocols during the workday. Provide leadership and support in the completion of pre-start-up Pre-Operational Inspections and Process Verifications for smooth operational start-up.
• Program Development & Maintenance: Develop, maintain, and monitor systems for HACCP, Food Defense, Net Weights, Label Verification, Customer Complaints, and Internal Audits. Manage the implementation and periodic reassessment of prerequisite programs, including Pest Control, Sanitation Standards, GMPs, and Master Cleaning. Maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all Quality-related tasks and regulatory programs.
• Regulatory & Quality Program Oversight: Maintain company regulatory programs, such as HACCP, Recall, Environmental Sampling, Microbiology, and Shelf-Life. Ensure all programs are validated and updated in accordance with regulations, technical literature, historical data, and expert advice.
• Training & Leadership: Develop and maintain a training system that equips employees with the necessary tools to adhere to established limits and standards. Provide ongoing leadership and training to ensure the effective operation of the FSQA department and compliance with all policies.
• Corrective Action Management: Lead and manage the Corrective Action system, ensuring that all non-compliant issues are addressed, and prevent any product injurious to health from entering commerce. Implement corrective actions for non-compliance and follow up to ensure resolution.
• Audits & Inspections: Participate in scheduled and unscheduled third-party and regulatory audits as the site SQF Practitioner. Conduct Mock Recalls in alignment with customer and regulatory requirements.
• Documentation & Record Keeping: Maintain a comprehensive record-keeping system for changes, revisions, and archived records relating to all FSQA programs. Ensure all documentation is accurate and up to date.
• Cross-functional Collaboration & Support: Collaborate with other departments, particularly processing, in relation to new and existing customers and products. Continue the duties of the QC Technician and Director of Food Safety in their absence, including overseeing QC Technician time cards and general departmental support.
• Additional Responsibilities: Manage departmental performance to meet targets and comply with all internal and external policies and standards. Complete any other duties as assigned or required.

Qualifications:

• B.S. Degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology or related degree
• Have a working knowledge of a manufacturing facility, preferably a food processing facility with a minimum of 3 years’ experience
• HACCP Trained or the ability to become trained.
• Working knowledge of Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Stock Recoveries.
• SQF trained (Practitioner) or the ability to become a Practitioner
• Working knowledge of Environmental Sampling, Sanitation Standards and Regulations and Food Defense
• Ability to read and comprehend Technical literature and concepts at a general level
• Working knowledge of both 3rd party and regulatory audits.
• Strong communication verbal and written. Leadership abilities-problems resolve.
• General working knowledge of computers especially Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Ability to work in a cold environment.
• Flexibility to rotate hours if needed.

Physical demands and Work Environment:

• Employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit or walk for extended periods of time
• Employee is also required to push/pull, lift/carry, or exert force of up to 50 pounds or more
• Employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus
• Exposed at variable temperatures and cold processing environment of 34-36 ºF
• Cold environment area may be damp/wet moderate noise level PPE.

DIRECT REPORTS: QC Techs