Quality Assurance Technician

**About the Company**
Serving traditional Portuguese baked goods since 1991, Nova Era Bakery first opened its doors in Toronto’s Little Portugal community with a unique vision of providing customers with an experience that recreates the authentic feeling of a European café. Over the years, our family owned and operated business has grown through Southwestern Ontario with 2 food production facilities and 7 retail locations.

We are seeking a full-time **Quality Assurance Technician**to work out of our Head Office / Food Processing Facility located at Lawrence Ave. W./Jane St.

**Job Overview**

**Duties**
- Perform regular inspections of raw materials, in-process products, and finished goods to ensure they meet quality specifications. Inspections can be visual, mechanical, or chemical, depending on the product.
- Observe production processes to ensure they adhere to established procedures and quality standards. This may involve checking machine calibration, ensuring correct ingredient ratios, or monitoring temperatures.
- Record detailed observations from the production line, such as deviations from standard operating procedures, irregularities in product appearance or functionality, and other quality concerns, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
- Utilize specialized tools and instruments (e.g., calipers, pH meters, moisture analyzers, microscopes) to measure product attributes like size, weight, composition, and appearance.
- Ensure that measurement and testing instruments are calibrated and functioning correctly to produce accurate data.
- Perform basic maintenance and cleaning on equipment used for quality control to prevent contamination or malfunctions that could affect testing results.
- Ensure that all activities conform to company quality policies, industry regulations (e.g., SQF, CFIA, GMP, HACCP), and environmental or safety guidelines.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of test results, inspections, and quality audits. This includes logging data on product quality, discrepancies, and corrective actions.
- Identify, investigate and report on the root causes of quality issues, defects, or production delays. Work with production teams or management to address these issues.
- Collaborate with production teams to implement quality control measures and corrective actions as needed.
- Collaborate with the Research and Development (R&D) team to ensure new products meet quality standards before they are produced in large quantities.
- Assist in investigating customer complaints related to product quality, performing analysis to determine if there was a quality failure and identifying solutions.
- Support product recalls or investigations into quality or safety concerns by providing accurate documentation and test results.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the quality control process, reduce waste, and improve product quality.
- Assist in the development and maintenance of quality management systems to enhance overall product quality.
- Participate and conduct training sessions on SQF, HACCP and company processes and best practices.
- Other duties as assigned.

**Qualifications**
- At least 4 years of proven experience in Quality Assurance or Quality Control within a food manufacturing or production environment.
- Strong knowledge of food safety related legislation, standards, and regulations; especially SQF and CFIA regulatory requirements.
- Strong understanding of quality inspection techniques, including familiarity with QA/QC methodologies.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing quality related programs within the manufacturing environment is considered an asset.
- Proficient in data collection and analysis, with the ability to interpret results effectively.
- Excellent attention to detail and strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment while also being self-motivated.
- Familiarity with industry standards for quality assurance.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $20.00-$30.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 - 44 per week

**Benefits**:

- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed

**Education**:

- AEC / DEP or Skilled Trade Certificate (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2025-01-11