Quality Assurance Specialist

About the role

The Quality Assurance Specialist (Quality Co-Man Associate) manages and supports the administrative and compliance aspects of co-manufacturing customer relationships within a food manufacturing environment. This role ensures that all customer-specific quality and food safety requirements, processes, and procedures are clearly documented and consistently followed during production. The specialist plays a critical role in facilitating compliance, participating in customer-specific audits, and managing all required documentation, reporting, and data tracking related to co-manufacturing operations. Success in this position requires strong attention to detail, excellent organization, and clear communication with both internal teams and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary internal quality liaison for co-manufacturing customers, ensuring their unique processes, procedures, and expectations are fully understood and met.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of each co-manufacturing customer’s quality and food safety requirements, and ensure these requirements are integrated into production practices.
• Ensure that all customer-specific quality protocols are properly documented, communicated, and followed during production runs.
• Work closely with Production and Quality teams to implement customer-specific expectations and ensure alignment with internal quality systems.
• Manage customer inquiries and complaints, driving effective resolution and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Participate in customer line trials, pilot plant trials, and first production runs, including off-shift participation outside of normal working hours when required.
• Participate in customer audits by providing required documentation, answering quality-related questions, and supporting on-site audit activities.
• Assist in preparing the facility for customer and third-party audits, ensuring compliance with all customer-required standards and food safety systems.
• Support the implementation and follow-up of corrective actions resulting from customer audit findings to prevent recurrence.
• Maintain all customer-specific quality records, reports, and compliance documentation in an organized and accessible manner.
• Oversee and manage data tracking, reporting, and submission of quality and compliance documentation to co-manufacturing customers.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of all required quality and compliance paperwork and digital records.
• Create and provide Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for co-manufacturing customers in accordance with their specifications.
• Oversee supplier quality programs to ensure the highest standards of food quality and safety are maintained across the supply base.
• Work cross-functionally with Production, Quality, and leadership teams to ensure adherence to customer-specific requirements and continuous improvement in quality performance.
• Facilitate regular communication with co-manufacturing customers regarding quality updates, process improvements, audit outcomes, and compliance status.
• Address and resolve quality-related concerns and questions from co-manufacturing customers in a professional, timely, and solutions-focused manner.
• Support food safety initiatives on the production floor by verifying compliance with GMPs, safety procedures, and established quality standards.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and refinement of quality management systems and document control processes in support of co-manufacturing operations.

Essential Skills

• Three to five years of experience in a quality role within a food manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and industry standards applicable to food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience in Quality Control and Quality Assurance within food production.
• Knowledge and practical application of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Experience working in a food manufacturing environment, including familiarity with production processes and food quality requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and quality management systems (QMS).
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of documentation accuracy for quality records and compliance reports.
• Ability to analyze and interpret customer quality requirements and translate them into actionable processes and controls.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills to investigate issues and implement effective corrective actions.
• Ability to lead and collaborate across multiple sites and cross-functional teams, including quality, production, and leadership.
• Strong communication skills for managing customer relations and facilitating internal and external quality-related discussions.
• Experience with auditing practices in food manufacturing, including participation in customer, regulatory, or third-party audits.
• Understanding of food safety, microbiology concepts, and food quality principles relevant to dairy and other food products.
• Skill in document control, including organizing, maintaining, and retrieving quality and compliance documentation.
• Commitment to safety, quality assurance, and continuous improvement in a manufacturing setting.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification is preferred.
• SQF Practitioner certification, or the ability to obtain it after hire, is preferred.
• Experience working with SQF food safety systems and supporting SQF certification requirements.
• Experience supporting regulatory or third-party food safety audits in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in auditing, safety programs, and supplier quality management.
• Knowledge of microbiology and food quality principles to support product safety and performance.
• Experience in customer relations within a manufacturing or co-manufacturing context.
• Familiarity with whipped dairy products or similar food and beverage manufacturing processes is beneficial.
• Ability to work off-shift or outside normal working hours when needed for trials, audits, or first production runs.
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple customers, documentation streams, and audit requirements simultaneously.

Work Environment

This role operates within a food manufacturing environment that produces, packages, and ships private-label food products customized to customer specifications. The position may require regular time spent on the production floor, including standing, walking, and working within production areas to verify compliance with quality and food safety standards. Team members must follow all food safety, GMP, and safety procedures while performing job duties. The environment emphasizes adherence to quality management systems, audit readiness, and collaboration across production, quality, and leadership teams. Work hours are primarily standard daytime, but the role may require off-shift participation for customer line trials, pilot plant trials, and first production runs. The culture values innovation, continuous improvement, and strong customer partnerships in the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $55,000.00 – $65,000.00 per year. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.