QA Technician - 2nd Shift

Position Summary

The 2nd Shift QA Technician is accountable for conducting assigned product testing verifying correct packaging, product grade, size, weight, color, and condition. The Agronomy Quality Technician will monitor the work area for cleanliness and compliance with food safety regulations, safety protocols, and customer specifications, providing corrective actions to the Agronomy Quality Supervisor. The role also includes office support duties such as accurate daily data entry used in management decisions, covering sizing, quality, product specifications, lot numbers, varieties, fields, customer order details, and quality testing results.

Key Business Outcomes

• Quality Control with corrective actions
• Data Retention

Career Roadmap

• QA Coordinator
• Agronomy Quality Supervisor / Production Supervisor
• Associate Agronomist

Qualifications

• Experience in produce, preferably potatoes, or a manufacturing setting
• Demonstrated ability to use all Microsoft Office products such as Excel and Word
• Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, specialized software related to the position

Hierarchical Placement

Reports to: Agronomy Quality Supervisor

Direct Reports: Not Applicable

Critical Competencies

• Communication Effectiveness: Communicates problems with supervisor, provides status updates on projects daily or as needed, maintains respectful communication, and ensures clear verbal and written work.
• Computer Skills: Skilled with computers, adopts new technology quickly, learns new tools, and uses technology to enhance job performance.
• Dependable Work Habits: Reports to work as scheduled, gets along with team members, follows policies and SOPs, stays busy with value‑added work, and treats others with respect.
• Quality of Work: Maintains quantity and safety standards without compromising quality, has low rework incidence, uses tools correctly, works cost‑effectively, notifies managers of improper use, provides proactive updates, follows operating procedures, and completes required paperwork.
• Safe Work Habits: Maintains a clean and organized work area, follows safety manuals, references MSDS as appropriate, wears required PPE, demonstrates safe work habits, and takes ownership of a safe workplace for others.

Accountabilities

• Conduct assigned product testing verifying correct packaging, grade, size, weight, color, and condition.
• Monitor work area for cleanliness and compliance with food safety regulations, safety protocols, and customer specifications; provide corrective actions to plant leadership.
• Complete data entry in reporting system software used for management decisions, including sizing, quality, product specs, lot numbers, varieties, fields, customer order details, and testing results.
• Verify execution of food safety and quality assurance plan for first or second shift operations.
• Perform product sampling to ensure shipments meet customer requirements (grade, size, weight, color, condition) and record defects per USDA and customer standards.
• Provide performance feedback to management as a quality control inspector in a timely manner.
• Stop the production line and inform operations when varieties do not meet standards.
• Assist in loading/unloading plastic crates of potato samples for the R&D Lab.
• Weigh potato samples using a digital scale, peel samples to evaluate bruising with electric and hand peelers, and accurately record findings.
• Evaluate storage bins for visual defects such as sinkholes, sweat spots, mold, or rotting potatoes.
• During the growing season, observe fields, collect samples, and record data on insect pressure, weed pressure, plant disease, and population counts.
• Perform regular visual inspections of supplier fields to monitor crop health and report on quality, yield, and other observations.

Physical Activities / Demands

This position involves moderate walking and activity on the production floor. The employee must be able to ascend/descend ladders and stairs, move into various positions (sometimes tight spaces), walk moderate distances while pushing a wheeled cart, lift 20 lb consistently and occasionally up to 50 lb, communicate verbally, repeat motions with arms, wrists, hands, and fingers, bend, stoop, squat, kneel, visually identify defects, grasp and manipulate a kitchen knife, and enter data via computer.

Environmental Conditions

Work is performed in temperature‑controlled indoor environments that may include noisy areas, slippery or wet floors, exposure to regulated chemicals, dusty or poorly ventilated spaces, and dim lighting.