Quality Assurance Technician

• This position is responsible for performing administrative details to support the Manager of Quality and Food Safety in assuring that a safe quality product is shipped to the customer. They promote a food safety culture. As required, inspect, and check packaged products and record results.

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Functions

· Provide oversight of the customer complaints program and review daily with Quality Manager, Plant Manager, Packaging Manager and Packaging Maintenance Manager. Enter responses when necessary.

· Assist in complaint investigation.

· Review packaging weights for weight variance and report along with other daily quality checks.

· As required, performs quality audits to ensure that good, clean quality product is shipped by checking the weights, seals, folds, codes and overall appearance of bagged sugar.

· Monitor and file quality reports from bulk sugar shipments as well as other packaging lines.

· Review documentation and resolve discrepancies as part of the Quality Release program.

· Understand and review quality data produced by the laboratory.

· As required, rewrite and/or update standard operational procedures (SOPs) for Supervisors.

· Review metal detector and magnet inspections for compliance to HACCP plan; follow up on deviations.

· As required, develop and implement audit criteria in the packinghouse, warehouse, and other food production areas.

· Participate in the Food Safety Team through the required program verification process for SQF compliance.

· Conduct monthly inspections of the plant for Food Safety violations; report deviations.

· Participate in regulatory, 3rd party, and customer inspections.

· Manage the Product Non-Conformity and Return program; determine and communicate disposition on non-conforming products.

· Develop, write and conduct all Food Safety/ GMP training.

· Required to report physically to the prime work location. May be required to visit other company facilities.

· Detects and reports defective or unsafe conditions in respective work areas.

· Knows and observes Plant Safety work procedures and rules, Environmental Practices and GMP guidelines.

Performs other duties as assigned by supervision.

Company Conformance Statements

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to conform to the following:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with co-workers, Company business associates and the general public.
• Work together in a cooperative spirit to serve the best interests of the Company.
• Operate in a fully responsible manner and comply with the law and Company policy.

Company SHE Primary Responsibilities

• Understand and observe all Safety, Health & Environmental rules and procedures
• Report or correct any unsafe act or condition
• Report any chemical/fuel spill to supervision
• Report any pain or discomfort to supervision

Education/Professional Certifications/Licenses

The following are the basic qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED

The following are the preferred qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED

Experience

The following are the basic qualifications:

• Two to five years related quality control or Quality Assurance experience.
• Understanding of laboratory testing and results.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (including any physical demands)

The following are the basic qualifications:

• Proficiency in Microsoft applications and Email programs.
• Basic knowledge of food safety and quality. Ability to read and comprehend advanced instructions, correspondences, and memos. Ability to write correspondence to both internal employees and external people.
• Good interpersonal and communications skills. Ability to speak in front of large and small groups.
• Ability to perform basic math functions and analyze data with software programs.
• While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk and listen. Use of hands to grasp, handle, pinch, pick-up and type. Reach with hands and arms. Ability to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The associate must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

Equipment Used

• Basic office equipment, Microsoft programs, email programs

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a quiet, climate-controlled, open area shared with other employees.
• Work is regularly performed away from the office more than half the day. When away from the office, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold and extreme heat. When away from the office, the noise level in the work environment is usually loud. While performing the duties of this job, the employee can be exposed to fumes or airborne particles.
• Weekend duty and other job assignments in the quality department may be assigned.

Employee Supervision

• This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Decision Making/Accountability

• General supervision, unusual and non-routine tasks handled by supervisor. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a many concrete variables in standardized situations.