QA Tech, Lead 3rd

Position Summary:

Assist Quality Assurance (QA) Supervisor in supervising and coordinating all QA activities within the facility, assign various duties to QA Technicians. Provide leadership and communication to QA as well as to other departments. Assist with on-the-job training of new employees in the use of lab equipment and other tasks.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Communicate with appropriate management regarding quality issues and concerns. Provide corrective actions if needed, do daily follow up and reports


• Establish and provide disposition of hold products and/or ingredients along with daily receipts and shipments. For food safety dispositions prepare a report of the findings for review by the QA Manager


• Monitor QA department for supplies and micro samples. Assist in testing as needed. Schedule work areas as needed


• Maintain and monitor capability weight studies for all production lines, including training of line maintainers. Coordinate, train, and verify with production staff the accuracy of daily batching records. Prioritize and provide prompt technical solutions for production and/or customer related product issues or customer complaints. Assist in the analysis of technical problems and be a resource for solutions to technical problems. Use RedZone as applicable


• Help maintain safety training or additional training programs for employees. Perform and verify training of new QA Technicians


• Coordinate with QA Administrative Assistant Clerk to ensure that all recordkeeping is uniformly complete and accurate and provide data for preparation of COAs, export documents, etc.


• Notify and advise Production Supervisor on any concerns regarding Preventive Controls deviations, GMP, sanitation, housekeeping, safety or other issues


• Prepare, monitor and review FSMA plan and review all analytical data along with Preventive Controls so that all products are compliant before releasing product for final shipment


• Responsible for following all food safety policies, procedures and regulatory criteria including the current SQF code, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and associated preventive controls


• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry or equivalent experience


• 5-10 years of experience in a food manufacturing lab environment


• Food manufacturing lab environment experience in fats and oils preferred

Knowledge and Skills:

• Requires leadership skills and excellent verbal and written communications skills


• Computer literate including experience with AS400, JDE, RedZone, Kronos, and Microsoft Office Suite


• Must be able to calculate and interpret various analytical data


• Ability to approach others in a tactful manner, react well under pressure and follow through on commitments


• Willing to develop knowledge of margarine/shortening technology and obtain HACCP certification     


• Must be able to identify and report any food safety and food security concerns