The QA Associate – Customer Compliance plays a critical role in protecting customer trust and ensuring regulatory and specification compliance across the organization. This position owns the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of customer-facing quality documentation while also driving data visibility, workflow efficiency, and continuous process improvement.

This role operates at both a tactical and strategic level — executing high-volume documentation and compliance tasks with precision, while also analyzing trends, improving systems, and strengthening quality infrastructure across the business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Customer Documentation & Portal Management

• Review and interpret customer specifications and align internal documentation accordingly
• Maintain and update customer-specific requirements in ERP (specifications, approved manufacturers, shelf life, testing protocols, etc.)
• Manage customer documentation requests and ensure on-time, complete responses
• Maintain compliance within customer QA portals and external platforms
• Ensure all customer QA documentation is audit-ready, version-controlled, and systematically organized

Customer Compliance & COA Management

• Review, validate, and enter QA data into ERP systems with a high degree of accuracy
• Review supplier COAs and/or internal lab results to ensure compliance with customer specifications
• Issue Certificates of Analysis (COAs) prior to or at shipment in accordance with customer requirements
• Investigate discrepancies in COA data, testing methods, or specification variances
• Ensure traceability and documentation integrity for all product shipments

Data Management & Metrics Ownership

• Maintain integrity, accuracy, and completeness of QA data across ERP and document management systems
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as COA turnaround time, documentation cycle time, complaint resolution timelines, and portal compliance metrics
• Generate routine and ad hoc reporting to support QA leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
• Analyze quality trends, specification changes, and customer feedback to identify risk patterns and improvement opportunities
• Support internal and external audits through strong documentation governance

Workflow & Process Management

• Establish structured workflows for COA review, documentation requests, complaint investigations, and portal updates
• Prioritize workload based on shipment schedules and customer urgency
• Identify workflow bottlenecks and implement process improvements to reduce cycle time and error rates
• Support ERP enhancements, automation initiatives, and digital process improvements
• Drive standardization across customer accounts to improve scalability and operational efficiency

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and Procurement to ensure alignment on quality requirements
• Research lots, POs, and historical documentation to resolve internal and external inquiries
• Coordinate communication and resolution of customer quality complaints
• Effectively communicate quality requirements to diverse internal and external stakeholders
• Coordinate product samples required for testing or evaluation

Process Improvement & Quality Initiatives

• Assist in development and implementation of internal quality documentation and procedures
• Support corrective action processes and quality-related project management
• Proactively identify operational efficiencies and risk-reduction opportunities
• Contribute to strengthening Anchor’s overall quality management systems

Safety & General Responsibilities

• Support and adhere to the Company’s Safety Program
• Up to 10% travel (primarily day trips)
• Perform additional project work as assigned by QA leadership
• Comply with all company policies related to safety, hygiene, and workplace standard

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands 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.

This job operates within both a professional office environment as well as ingredient processing facilities. While performing the duties of this job within the processing facilities, the employee will be exposed to machinery and moving parts. The employee may be exposed to adverse weather conditions, high precarious places and confined spaces, & airborne particles including grain dust and hazardous materials or fumes, which may require the use of PPE. The noise level in some of the work environments may require the use of hearing protection. While performing the duties of this job inside the office, the employee is frequently exposed to normal working conditions for an office environment with a noise level that is usually quiet to moderate.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee may be required to stand for long periods of time as well as use hands or fingers to reach or handle, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. All vision abilities are required to encompass close-up work. On occasion, employee must be able to tolerate and endure extended seasonal hours and maintain alertness to meet deadlines.

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

Headquartered in Fargo, ND, Anchor Ingredients is the most customer-centric, innovative and transparent farm-to-food partner, dedicated to delivering premium ingredients and added value services to the food and pet food industries. Our farm-level relationships, combined with our global reach, allow us to efficiently procure and process ingredients from around the region and throughout the world, uniquely positioning us to fulfill our customers' diverse ingredient requirements. We take pride in our world-class team which boasts extensive industry experience combined with an unwavering dedication to our company’s mission, vision and values, and a commitment to delivering quality and innovation throughout the entire food supply chain. 

DISCLAIMER:

This job description is not a complete description of responsibility, but reflects the general qualifications, duties and/or responsibilities necessary to perform this position. All candidates who receive a written offer of employment will be required to successfully pass a background check, as well as testing for commonly abused controlled substances in accordance with the company’s Drug Free Workplace Policy. Anchor Ingredients reserves the right to revise the job description as circumstances warrant. Anchor Ingredients is an at-will employer, which means that either the employee or the company may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause. We are an equal opportunity employer.