Qa Technician Lead

Our client near Minneapolis is a growing organization made up of businesses that produce and sell products such as: pasta, peanut butter, granola, trail mixes, and much more. .This role is critical to ensure we keep our food safe and of the highest quality. The Lead Quality Assurance Technician performs food safety and product quality review on production and packaging processes, evaluates all finished goods coming out of the production area, and assists the QA Supervisor and Quality Manager

Duties And Responsibilities: 

• Conduct routine food safety and quality inspections in production and warehouse to confirm correct product shapes, specifications, storage, packaging, labeling, and coding. 
• Responsible for the identification of food safety hazards and issues.  
• Perform necessary inspections of incoming ingredients, outgoing finished goods, or returned finished goods.  
• Work with department managers to proactively identify and implement solutions and/or modifications to current procedures and programs to ensure the continuing safety of the finished product 
• Measure product samples and report dies that are out of specification 
• Hold any product manufactured out of specification and communicate with all involved departments regarding disposition 
• Evaluate and record hourly trays and hourly noodle & long goods samples 
• Perform quality and sensory testing on finished goods 
• Maintain and inspect shelf samples and retention samples for quality purposes 
• Assist the QA supervisor with the management and execution of the Sales and Customer sample request programs 
• Responsible for supporting and maintaining Food Safety and Quality Programs, along with proactively identifying and executing all continuous improvement opportunities in the areas of safety, food safety, quality, productivity, and sanitation.  
• Participates and supports all Quality and Safety audits and annual certifications, including internal audits and paperwork compliance 
• Assist the QA Supervisor with supporting the sanitation department, including routine sanitation audits, verifying sanitation events, and assigning the sanitarians duties as needed 
• Assist in training and leading quality assurance technicians.  
• Assist in verifying and validating preventative control documents as well as critical quality control documents.  
• Assist in audit preparation which includes 3rd party and regulatory  
• Assist with reviewing and verifying quality and production SOPs  
• Assist in CAPA for internal and external audits  
• Train and Coach hourly employees that involves Food Safety and Quality improvements. 
• Assist the QA Supervisor and QA Manager with hold Inspections internally and at external DC.  
• Backup up to QA supervisor when they are not on site.  
• Assist the QA Supervisor with quality reporting by using 8th Ave supporting software.  
• Other duties, as assigned  

Education And Experience Required: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in food related field. (Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry, etc.) or equivalent experience 
• 5+ year work experience in food plant sanitation or quality assurance 
• 5+ years’ experience in quality assurance testing 
• Must have experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)

Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills: 

• PCQI Certification 
• HACCP Certification  
• SQF Certification 

Physical Requirements: Qualified candidates must be able to perform the following physical job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation: 

• Must be able to sit for 4+ hours per shift 
• Must be able to walk for 4+ hours per shift 
• Must be able to climb ladders and endure heights 
• Must be able to lift up-to 50 lbs.