Quality Control Assistant - Food and Beverage Industry

Quality Control Assistant

Summary:

The Factory Quality Control Assistant will handle all responsibilities affiliated with verifying that product standards are met, verified, and reported.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

As Quality Control Assistant you will: 

• Oversee lab analysis with respect to physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters.
• Prepare quality control reports on a daily and monthly basis.
• Update QC supervisor, Production and Factory Managers with quality control results and reports.
• Format and verify all quality control records following established company standards.
• Be responsible for all quality control equipment and supplies, including inventory and maintenance.
• Coordinate with outside lab for sample checking.
• Prepare Standard Operating Procedure manual for departmental use.
• Conduct food safety and hygiene training and testing for employees.
• Determine material requirements, generate and place purchase orders.
• Keep track of calibration schedules and equipment history.
• Perform inventory control, ensuring that supplies are in stock by conducting monthly inventory.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Identify weak points in factory cleanliness and mentor employees in improvement.
• Microbiology Culturing, environmental sampling.
• Escort and assist auditors from third party agencies.
• Audit suppliers of raw and sub materials.
• Investigate results that are out of specifications.
• Maintain a safe work environment by practicing company policies, standard of food safety (HACCP, SQF,FDA)/OSHA guidelines.

Other Food Safety Duties:

• Perform pre-operational inspections and take actions when applicable.     
• Follow established Good Manufacturing Practices and food safety policies and procedures.
• Provide feedback on continuous improvement opportunities.
• Document control and records keeping. Implement Good Documentation Practices.
• Report to Management any of the following: pest activity, food defense or food fraud suspicious activities, evidence of product contamination.
• Train employees on food safety programs. Ensure training is effective through competencies evaluation (observation, group verbal questions, written).
• Participate in monthly food safety meetings and food safety plan building, changes and/or verification.
• Follow-up on action plans resulting from food safety initiatives such as Pre-Operational inspections, internal/external audits, Critical Control Points and Preventative Control deviations.
• Participate in proficiency testing program.
• Participate in documentation, training and implementation of food safety programs.

Role Qualifications:   

• A high school diploma or GED.
• 4 years college degree in microbiology or a related course of study highly preferred.
•  3+ years of quality control experience in a factory or laboratory setting.
• HACCP or ISO certified preferred.
• Driver’s license is required for making coordination with outside lab.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and writing skills.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks in a fast paced environment.
• Maintain excellent organization and have high attention to detail.
• Ability to accept direction and have a desire to work as part of a team.
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to change.

Qualification Guidelines:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience:

Successful Candidates/Employees of this position must have a high school diploma or GED, with a 4 year college degree in microbiology or a related field highly preferred.

Language Ability:

The position requires the ability to read and comprehend instructions, short correspondences, and memos. The position also requires the ability to compose short correspondences and reports, and the ability to effectively present information in one-on-one, small group situations and to other employees, consumers, and audiences in/out of the organization; This position requires effective verbal and written communication in English.

Math Ability:

The position requires the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

The position requires the ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exits. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

The position requires experience with computers, Windows proficiency, experience with e-mail, and working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, and other appropriate software.

Supervisory Responsibilities / Department Interaction:

None / All Departments and Branch Offices.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee must possess the ability to sit in a normal seated position for extended periods of time; stand in place for long periods of time; walk; balance; bend, stoop and kneel regularly; talk or hear. This position requires the employee have the ability to have full range of upper body motion in order to occasionally lift stock.  The employee may be expected to lift, move and carry records and documents typically weighing 20 pounds or less. In addition may be expected to lift product and boxes typically weighting 50 pounds or less. Requires the ability to perform repetitive tasks for prolonged periods of time as well as fine finger and broad manual dexterity, and eye-hand-foot coordination in order to operate equipment. Work may require strenuous mental activity. Must be able to drive and have reliable transportation.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, working conditions consist primarily of a temperature-controlled office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Special Requirements/Certification: 

Certification of any Food safety (HACCP/SQF) training course, Internal Auditor training course

A probiotic company which has been operating for over 90 years.