Quality Assurance Technician

Role:

Actively supports QA, operations, and sanitation team, performs quality and food safety verifications of paperwork and products. Assists with the enforcement of food safety and quality programs to all departments. Ensures adherence to required food safety laws, regulations, company and customer policies and procedures. Has the authority to suspend operation when serious food safety and quality risks are identified.

SHIFT TIME: 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM

• Actively participate in the implementation and review of CCP, HACCP and BRC Systems (GMPs, Prerequisite Programs, Policies, SOPs, etc.) as per QA management team
• Train, guide, and support QA verifiers with daily tasks
• 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
• Communicate with QA/production managers and supervisors for reporting non-compliances/deviations/CAPA
• Ensures appropriate product holds and timely dispositions and/or releases
• Daily follow up external lab micro-test results on daily swab and finished products and handle non-compliances as per HACCP plan and QA policy
• Assist QA team in investigation of HACCP, and BRC non-compliance and deviations through root cause and risk analysis, and the application of corrective and preventative actions
• Assists QA team and HACCP coordinator with onsite verifications, internal audits and HACCP verification tasks/reassessment
• Supports QA team to ensure regulatory compliance with CFIA, GFSI, BRC and Customer requirements are met
• Electronically distribute daily QA shift reports to the relevant team
• Attend daily QA meetings and provide inputs for continuous improvement
• Prepare all samples for Lab submission including paperwork
• Review and verify daily QA and production paperwork and initiate non-compliances/deviations/CAPA as required
• Identify, report and follow up to pest control and sanitation team for relevant concerns
• Actively follow up daily QA forms and paper works to maintain updated versions, communicate with QA management team for necessary changes as per SOP/specifications
• Identify health and safety concerns and report to the management team as required
• Back up QA verifiers and/or QA supervisor in absence/vacations
• Other duties as assigned

• Conduct daily and non-daily pre-operational inspections and releases production equipment and production rooms to operations following corporate policies, SOPs and schedules along with QA/sanitation leadership team
• Work with sanitation and direct re-cleans as necessary and conduct re-inspection
• Assist with the development, implementation, maintenance and verification of the sanitation manual and pre-operational activities
• Ensure documentation and resolution of deviations originating from equipment teardown, sanitation and equipment re-assembly as it relates to pre-operational and sanitation activities
• Actively participate in implementing GMP policy during and post sanitation shift
• Actively inspect premises and equipment conditions and issue work orders for repairs
• Prepare, approve, conducts swabbing and sampling as applicable to pre-operational inspection
• Prepare all samples for Lab submission including paperwork
• Daily calibration of thermometers and/or other tools as required
• Data entry of inspection results daily into a pre-op log
• Identifies trends related to pre-operational and sanitation performance, through sanitation scorecards and rewash logs, and communicating trends to management
• Maintains environmental monitoring, including record completion and trending of results
• Attend weekly sanitation meetings
• Other duties as assigned by QA/sanitation supervisor and/or Sanitation/QA manager

• University degree or college diploma/certification in Food science, Food/chemical engineering, Microbiology or in related discipline preferred
• Preferably 1-2 years of working experience and/or strong knowledge on GMP, HACCP, Prerequisite Programs, preferably on CFIA inspected food manufacturing facility.
• Working knowledge of HACCP and GFSI systems and applicable regulatory agencies
• Thorough understanding of statistical process controls
• Knowledge of root cause analysis investigation and resolution process
• Proficient with MS Suite products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required as well as with label system software
• Highly detail oriented, Ability to work effectively as a team member
• Proficient with data entry, data processing and MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc.) 
• Meets attendance/punctuality requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to work effectively, prioritize multiple obligations within limited time
• Adaptable to change, handles pressure well, adjusts plans to meet changing demands
• Excellent work ethics and accountability must work with minimal supervision in a team environment
• Strong analytical, systematical, and problem-solving abilities
• Highly detail oriented and focused with excellent organizational skills
• Strong attendance/punctuality
• Must be physically and mentally fit to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Meets attendance/punctuality requirements
• Makes decisions systematically, under pressure and can make difficult/unpopular choices

#IND3