Food Safety and Quality Lab Technician - Day Shift - Buffalo Plant

Company Overview

The General Mills Buffalo Plant manufactures Flour and Cereal products for our North America Retail and North America Foodservice business segments. The flour products are targeted to a wide variety of customers within our North America Foodservice division. Our cereal products include a variety of sizes and packing configurations of Cheerios, Honey Nut, Apple Cinnamon and Very Berry Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Corn Chex and Honey Nut Chex. The plant has a long history in Buffalo and began as a flour mill in 1903. Today, the plant focuses on leading with safety, delivering strong performance and building a One Buffalo culture.

Position Overview

This position will provide day-to-day Food Safety and Quality support for the Buffalo plant, which will include analytical testing, sensory evaluation and communication and interpretation of Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP and other Food Safety and Quality procedures.

Shift Information

Day shift position with 6 am - 6 pm hours. Rotating schedule, including weekends.

Key Accountabilities

• Complete analytical (chemical and physical) testing of ingredients, packaging and finished products
• Enter data into a computer-based information system
• Approve product against product specifications
• Troubleshoot out of specification product, handle hold orders and making sound risk decisions
• Partner with team leaders and operators to evaluate food safety and quality risks, influence appropriate decisions and support plant productivity
• Complete internal reference material (IRM) program activities and statistical process control (SPC) control charting and analysis
• Have intermediate knowledge of instrumentation and troubleshooting
• Complete start-up, changeover and bulk pack inspections and other sanitation accountabilities
• Lead shift sensory panels to ensure product is meeting all sensory requirements
• Make up chemical solutions and complete equipment calibrations
• Lead designated quality programs such as retain management, glass and brittle plastic, COA management, bulk pack formula auditing and packaging label verification

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• 1+ years of Quality Assurance/Control laboratory/analytical testing experience or related experience
• Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems
• Good communication and influence skills
• Experience and desire to work in a team environment
• Strong statistical skills
• Basic computer skills
• Good organizational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Willingness to learn new tasks and take on additional accountability to support the Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) function
• Schedule flexibility is required. Rotating weekend work, overtime, and off shift coverage is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Post-secondary education with emphasis in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Quality Assurance or related technical discipline
• Relevant food or pharmaceutical manufacturing experience
• Understanding of risk assessment and regulatory requirements
• Familiarity of HPLC and auto titration instrumentation and techniques
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Knowledge of OSHA chemical safety requirements/hazardous materials training
• Basic understanding of continuous improvement processes
• Relevant work experience in an ISO environment

Additional Considerations

International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered. Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $43,500 - $59,900 annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including individual and organizational performance.