Quality Assurance Technician

Grand River Foods is a leading food solutions company serving customers in the North American grocery and food service industry. As a member of the Sunrise Farm family, we remain as dedicated as ever to both providing a quality work environment for our employees, as well as producing only the highest quality products for our customers. We are known for the great care we take with clients and employees alike.

The QA Technician (morning shift) assists with the implementation and enforcement of incoming inspection programs, to ensure adherence to food safety laws and company and customer requirements. They will have the authority to reject incoming materials when serious food safety risks are identified and when materials do not adhere to prescribed specifications. They are responsible for assisting and supporting the maintenance, verification and storage of incoming inspection documents

Hours for this position are Monday to Friday, 6:45 AM - 3:15 PM

**Duties and Responsibilities**

Incoming Compliance

Applies regulation, policies and standard operating procedures regarding food safety and quality programs relating to incoming raw material, packaging and labeling inspections

Profiles and evaluates raw materials, for defects and non-conformities, to ensure food safety, quality, and customer requirements are met

Responsible for developing daily incoming reports concerning raw material compliance and distributing to Senior Management and Production Personnel

Responsible for analyzing and trending raw material profile results, initiating supplier follow-up process and communicating results with Senior Management

Assisting with maintaining supplier scorecards and initiating supplier non-conformity responses for the QA Manager and/or QA Compliance Technician to issue

Ensures compliance with CFIA, SQF and Customer Specification requirements

Identifies trends related to incoming raw materials and supplier performance, and communicating trends to management

Ensures appropriate product holds and dispositions of incoming materials

Assists with the development, implementation and maintenance of raw material specifications

Responsible for ensuring mandatory requirements that appear on externally printed labels are accurate

Verifies all incoming ingredients to approved customer specifications

Monitoring of storage facilities to ensure First-in/First-out compliance

Daily inspection activities of coolers and dry storage

Other duties as assigned

**Document Compliance**

Assists the QA Manager and HACCP / SQF Practitioner in the review, maintenance and control of documents relating to the incoming inspection programs

Responsible for ensuring verification activities are completed including record reviews, on-site observations, interviews and overall incoming SOP compliance

**Qualifications**

Skills and Abilities:
Highly detail oriented

Exceptional work ethic

Able to prioritize multiple obligations, and manage time effectively

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Ability to work effectively as a team member

Strong analytical, problem-solving abilities

Strong mathematical skills

Proficiency with Microsoft Office systems (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Must work with mínimal supervision

Adaptable to change, handles pressure well, adjusts plans to meet changing demands

Accepts accountability, stays focused under pressure

Meets attendance/punctuality requirements

Makes decisions systematically, under pressure and can make difficult/unpopular choices

**Education**:
Completion of Vocational/Technical specialty certification/licensure program in a related field preferred

University degree or college diploma in related discipline preferred

**Experience**:
A minimum of 3 years experience in a similar role

Working knowledge of HACCP and GFSI systems and applicable regulatory agencies

Thorough understanding of statistical process controls

Knowledge root cause analysis investigation and resolution process

Proficient with MS Suite products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required as well as with label system software

**Working Conditions**

Varying schedule with overtime required, work on weekends and other shifts required

Work on the plant floor in a cold environment with slippery floors

Tolerant of working with raw meat products

At Sunrise Farms we are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or any other identifying characteristic are encouraged to apply.