QA / QC Associate

Carrollton

Job Description Job Description Description: 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

Requirements: 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.