Quality Assurance Specialist

About the role

The Quality Assurance Specialist supports and strengthens food safety and product quality within a manufacturing facility. This role reviews and maintains compliance with the factory Food Safety Plan, collaborates closely with shift supervisors and plant leadership to promote a strong food safety and quality culture, and ensures adherence to all relevant policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. The specialist conducts testing, leads corrective action activities, and contributes to continuous improvement in food safety and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Review and ensure ongoing compliance with the factory Food Safety Plan, including HACCP requirements.
• Partner with shift supervisors and plant management to promote a strong Food Safety and Quality Culture through daily coaching and scheduled training.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and procedures related to Food Safety and Quality, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), sanitation and housekeeping, and equipment and facility maintenance.
• Enforce GMP compliance through coaching and appropriate interventions for production supervisors, factory employees, contractors, and visitors.
• Ensure adherence to company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Work Instructions (WI), including accurate documentation completion, control, and retention.
• Conduct Food Safety and Quality testing as needed, such as environmental swabbing and metal detector challenge tests.
• Initiate, investigate, communicate, and follow through on corrective actions for food safety and quality non‑compliances, maintaining a corrective action tracking system to ensure timely resolution.
• Investigate consumer complaints, identify root causes, and support implementation of preventive measures.
• Support audit and inspection activities by providing documentation, data, and explanations related to food safety and quality systems.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of quality assurance processes, documentation practices, and food safety controls.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree, or equivalent work experience with a minimum of 2 years in a production environment.
• At least 1 year of experience working in a food manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of HACCP principles and their application in a manufacturing setting.
• Experience in quality assurance, quality control, and batch record review within a production or laboratory environment.
• Ability to perform and interpret food safety and quality testing, including swabbing and metal detector challenges.
• Strong document control skills, including managing completion, control, and retention of SOPs, work instructions, and quality records.
• Technical, analytical, and problem‑solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification preferred.
• SQF Practitioner credentials preferred.
• Basic statistical skills for analyzing quality and process data.
• Experience working in laboratory or testing environments related to food safety or quality.
• Ability to collaborate with team members and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Self‑starter mindset with reliability and a commitment to maintaining high standards of food safety and quality.

Work Environment & Schedule

This position operates in a food manufacturing facility on a first‑shift schedule, alternating weekly between Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and Tuesday–Saturday, 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The environment is fast‑paced and production‑focused, requiring consistent adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices, sanitation standards, and food safety procedures. The role involves regular interaction with production areas, quality testing activities, and use of standard office software for documentation and communication.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $30.00 – $33.50 per hour, with compensation based on qualifications, skills, experience, and other job‑related factors.

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision coverage
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – pre‑tax and Roth post‑tax contributions
• Life Insurance (voluntary life & AD&D for employee and dependents)
• Short and long‑term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid time off (PTO, vacation, or sick leave)