Food Safety & Compliance Specialist

Kura Sushi USA is a publicly traded U.S. company established in 2008 as a subsidiary of Kura Sushi, Inc. We are an innovative and tech interactive Japanese restaurant chain serving up the ultimate eater-tainment dining experience with a combination of premium ingredients, advanced technology, and affordable prices to create a one-of-a-kind revolving sushi dining experience.

Come join the Kura Krew! We have an exciting opportunity for a Food Safety & Compliance Specialist to join our growing team.

This role is a hybrid role. The selected candidate must be able to come to the office in Irvine, CA on in-office days and as needed to carry out necessary functions of the role.

Responsibilities:

The Food Safety & Compliance Specialist is responsible for working with the supervisor in the oversight of the three major components of food safety for the company, inclusive of:

• Developing food safety SOPs and standards
• Oversight of compliance for all food safety related curriculum and generate routine audits and reporting to achieve local and federal standards
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to instill a safety culture in the organization, inclusive of cleanliness, PMC, SDS and proper chemical handling/usage, proper equipment usage/cleaning and proper documentation/action plans or local food safety inspections

The position also is responsible for independently maintaining and updating records, trackers and logs pertaining to Food Safety and Compliance. Exercising experience and knowledge to flag repeat violations/offences/occurrences to the appropriate supervisor for any action that needs to be taken.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Promote, maintain, and support the food safety culture to include but not limited to: SQF System, Regulatory Requirements, Customer Specifications, Safe Food Handling Practices
• Support & maintain all HACCP plans inclusive of creating all NSO HACCP Plan submittals for new markets and local requirement modifications
• Support restaurant facility sanitation program and equipment cleaning | usage
• Creates training tools around food safety, food handling, food dethawing, SDS, equipment usage | cleaning, chemical usage and storage, store checklists pertaining to the food safety plan / HACCP plans and any operational change that impacts the food safety flow chart
• Maintain small tools tracker - pH meters, calibration solutions, thermometers, kitchen/cleaning tools, etc. Track costs, frequency of purchase to determine durability replacement schedule
• Work with Food Safety and Compliance Manager to manage HAACP Plan for Sushi Rice Tracker
• Audit bi-annually or any other frequency as determined by the Supervisor, HAACP plan, FDA state, county, and municipal jurisdictions and ensure all restaurants are following the latest HAACP required procedures
• Conduct quarterly audit of FDA state, county, and municipal jurisdictions and ensures all restaurants are following the latest required procedures
• Identifies food safety hazards and works towards immediate and long-term correction
• Working with local leadership, follows-up on any Food Safety concerns raised by Management, Quality & SQF Practitioners, and/or other local regulatory agencies
• Creates monthly reporting and audits of all food safety certifications required by jurisdiction inclusive of food handling, alcohol, allergen, choke training or any other restaurant required compliance training
• Work with the Safety Team on monthly Food Safety Meetings and help facilitate as needed
• Work with Safety, QA and Supply Chain for national recall protocol and / or outbreak protocols
• Proactively researches and learns new regulations and standards and implements or updates the current standard procedures
• Other duties/tasks as may be assigned
• Support of 3rd party auditing company initiatives
• Independently schedule and proctor food manager exams
• Update ARMG's, RFT's and other depts as deemed necessary on the status of individuals passing or failing food manager exams

Competencies:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Analytical - Uses intuition and experience to complement data
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully
• Interpersonal - Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Friendly, out-going disposition
• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively. Able to read and interpret written information. Presents numerical data effectively
• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes tasks correctly and on time; supports Company's goals and values
• Adaptability - Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time
• Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed
• Judgment - Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Displays willingness to make decisions. Supports and explains reasoning for decisions
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality
• Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in a timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly
• Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly

Qualifications:

• Education/Experience:
• 2 years' experience in supporting of creating Standard Operating Procedures that comply with all local and federal food safety guidelines
• Five years or more of food safety and compliance management experience in a restaurant or manufacturing environment - Required | seafood experience preferred
• Food Safety Manager Certification - Required
• Proficient MS Office Suite required
• Bachelor's degree in food science and / or equivalent experience preferred
• Expert with HACCP, FDA, USDA Food Safety regulations + UL and ETL Equipment Certifications preferred
• Minimum of 2 years instructional/training/development/presentation experience preferred
• Minimum of 2 years OSHA training & material handling certification safety experience preferred
• HACCP Certification and experience creating HACCP plans and Food Safety Plans preferred
• Minimum of 2 years creating curriculum and providing instruction preferred
• Ability to effectively communicate with management in English. Ability to interact with all levels of management. Ability to additionally speak and write in Japanese and/or Spanish preferred

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Noise level is moderate to loud
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time

Pay Range:

$66,000 - $85,000/yr max DOE