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Form of workCompany Description: At Nature’s Variety, our purpose – the reason behind everything we do – is to empower people to transform the lives of pets. We are committed to hiring talent who share our passion and hunger to raise the bar in everything we do. Our primary brand is Instinct®- The Raw Brand® and we have set out to redefine better. We see things differently. We do things differently. We are never finished. We believe it’s up to us to change the way people think, the way people feed, and the way their pets feel. As a brand, we’re driven to connect with and awaken pet parents to better nutrition through raw. Nature’s Variety is a rapidly growing natural pet food company located in the Midwest. Our products are sold in over 10,000 pet specialty locations across North America, including Petco and PetSmart, and over twenty countries internationally.
Position Summary: The FS&Q Practitioner is responsible for ensuring that the manufacturing facilities meet the requirements outlined by SQF, FSMA, HACCP programs and regulatory bodies. As a key quality assurance professional, he or she is involved in all aspects of quality and Food Safety including but not limited to auditing, HACCP/Food Safety program evaluation, Corrective Action and Preventative Measure Program, cGMP training and matrix retention, working with manufacturing personnel on quality and Food Safety issues, inspecting returned and incoming materials, customer complaints investigations, the development, implementation, and training of policies and procedures. This role is the primary back-up for all Quality Assurance Technicians and support for shift coverage; this includes 1st and 2nd shift flexibility coverage and possible weekend work.
Job Duties:
- Manage team of Quality Technicians across three manufacturing locations; including scheduling, training, and comprehension of programs.
- Responsible for ensuring all finished goods and their applicable processing parameters meet the requirements outlined in all regulatory standards, facility standards, and product specifications.
- Perform paperwork reviews and submit Certificates of Analysis to release product from hold status and communicate those releases to appropriate personnel.
- Release product in our ERP inventory systems as well as sending releases to 3rd party locations.
- Performs verification activities for FS&Q documentation and applicable CCP functions.
- Coordination, development, and tracking of CAPA related issues as well as follow-up with cross-functional personnel.
- Develops training materials for Food Safety and Quality programs, perform training for employees, track and retain training matrix.
- Support Food Safety and Quality initiatives, data collection, and Quality Metric tracking and reporting.
- Assist with SQF & FSMA requirements and compliance.
- Support the Food Safety and Quality document control program including review and development of SOPs, SSOP’s, work instructions, and forms.
- Review and verifies compliance of Quality records.
- Coordination of sample collection for microbiological and chemical analysis.
- Reconciliation of date and lot code information against production records as needed.
- Coordinate with cross-functional departments to perform investigations, resolution, and dispositions for materials on hold.
- Assist with hold log reconciliation and inventory.
- Assist with mock recalls and Product traceability with inventory systems, usage reports and recall documentation.
- May be assigned projects and other tasks/duties when appropriate including back up to other positions.
Personal Attributes:
- Microsoft office technical skills
- Excellent attention to detail and is highly goal driven
- Ability to use independent judgment to make decisions and solve problems
- Must be well organized and able to prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously
- Ability to work within a frozen and dry environment
- Ability to work individually as well as with others as a team at all levels
- Assists the Quality Department including but not limited to technical support and auditing
- Ability to move up to 40 lbs.
- This position is primarily a first shift position but need to be able to work second shift and weekends when needed.
Qualifications:
Education: Associate degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, or a related field preferred.
Experience Required: Minimum 1-year previous experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
Compensation and Benefits: Competitive compensation package includes health and dental insurance, life and AD&D insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, short and long-term disability, paid time off, Purpose Days off for company partner volunteer opportunities, and 401k with company match.
