Food Safety Technician

 Who We Are: 

Founded in 1957, The Spice House is the leading purveyor of the finest spices, herbs, blends and extracts. Our customers range from renowned Michelin-star chefs to home cooks everywhere. For over 60 years we have curated our global network of premium growers and distributors in order to offer our customers unrivaled quality and selection. Our goal is to be the trusted resource for fresh flavors and shared culinary experiences in kitchens around the world. We have been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine and Bon Appetit and named a favorite by celebrities and chefs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Alton Brown. We have recently started to grow into the grocery sales channel and can now be found in stores like The Fresh Market, Mariano’s, and Fresh Thyme. 

We are looking for a Food Safety Technician who will be an integral member of the Quality Assurance team. You will work directly with the quality team members, production leads, supervisors and the production team to help maintain our food safety programs and will be responsible for ensuring that we are following all regulatory guidelines. This position is based at our facility in Elk Grove Village, IL, with a schedule of 6:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Thursday. Hours may be subject to change. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Primarily responsible for positive release of finished products in the company by checking product integrity, labels, barcode scannability and required aspects
• Tracking and documenting daily QA department KPIs
• Active problem solving of manufacturing floor issues that may come up on a daily basis, related to product fill weight, quality, appearance, documentation, traceability and other. When required, to be escalated to Quality Manager and other relevant personnel.
• Ensure the company’s compliance with the established Food Safety and Quality System, GMP and practices to help the facility be audit-ready, always!
• Review and scanning of documentation for the record-keeping practices of the company’s food safety and quality compliance programs.
• Collect information regarding inbound and outbound shipments. 
• Maintains, reviews, and verifies various GMP, HACCP food quality systems and programs to ensure accuracy and compliance with The Spice House specifications.
• Conduct Pre-operational and Post-Operational inspections and swabbing as required.
• Place product on hold when a deviation occurs by following proper product hold protocols.
• Handle additional tasks and projects to be able to help the department as assigned by the QA Manager.

Required Knowledge and Ability

• Associates or bachelor’s degree in Science, Food or Manufacturing, and/or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 1 year experience in Quality Assurance / Quality Control in the food industry or pharmaceutical industry preferred
• HACCP & PCQI certification preferred
• Must be able to multitask effectively and work well in a team environment.
• Attention to detail and accurate documentation
• Knowledge and understanding of food safety and quality programs. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment background check as a condition of employment.
• A passion for food & flavor required.

Why The Spice House:

• You can make a huge impact as a key member of an emerging brand that’s disrupting how consumers gain access to the freshest spices
• You will work with a group of passionate team members that are driven to help home cooks and professional chefs alike create delicious food with the highest quality ingredients
• You’ll join a company that is passionate about its people and their development, with opportunities for trainings and advancement
• Employee benefits* for full-time hourly employees include health, dental, vision, and life insurance after 90 days; 401K, generous time off, spice education, and free spices monthly (*Program and eligibility rules apply)

Reports to: Quality Assurance Manager

Pay rate: $20/hr

Position Type: This is an hourly, non-exempt, full time position. Employees must be at the assigned station at the start of the shift.