Quality Technician - 29 / Hour

Quality Technician

The Quality Technician plays a key role in ensuring that all products meet strict quality, food safety, and regulatory standards within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. This position focuses on raw material and packaging inspections, monitoring production processes, and verifying in-process quality checks throughout the facility. Working both on the production floor and in the laboratory, the technician performs chemical, analytical, physical, and sensory testing, responds to quality-related questions, investigates food safety concerns, documents findings, and drives corrective actions to maintain high standards of product quality and safety.

Responsibilities

• Follow and uphold all company quality policies, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), quality standards, and food safety requirements.
• Ensure high standards of product quality, housekeeping, hygiene, and food safety are consistently maintained across the facility.
• Escalate quality concerns, food safety incidents, and nonconforming conditions to management in a timely and clear manner.
• Communicate effectively with production teams, peers, supervisors, and cross-functional departments to support quality and food safety initiatives.
• Support compliance with FSSC and other food safety and quality management systems.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing defects and improving overall product quality.
• Provide frontline quality support on the production floor and respond to quality-related questions from manufacturing employees.
• Conduct investigations involving product defects, consumer complaints, and foreign material findings, and assist with root cause analysis.
• Identify potential food safety risks and support development and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Collect aseptic samples of incoming ingredients and verify specifications and Certificates of Analysis (COAs).
• Perform visual inspections of packaging, labeling, and finished products to ensure compliance with specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Complete equipment inspections and pre-operational sanitation inspections to verify readiness for production.
• Place nonconforming materials or products on quality hold and communicate findings and required actions to leadership.
• Calibrate and operate laboratory equipment including pH meters, moisture analyzers, scales, and water activity testing instruments.
• Perform analytical testing such as salt analysis, pH testing, water activity testing, and other quality control evaluations.
• Conduct product sensory evaluations and accurately document all results.
• Support environmental monitoring programs, including micro swab activities, to verify sanitation effectiveness and food safety controls.
• Perform filter checks and verify that critical quality control measures are being followed and documented.
• Assist with blending and product evaluation activities as needed to support product quality and consistency.
• Follow established procedures and work instructions while ensuring compliance with all quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate and complete quality records, including corrective action logs, hold logs, sanitation logs, and related documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the quality assurance and manufacturing teams.

Essential Skills

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Quality Specialist, Quality Technician, or laboratory roles is preferred.
• Experience in food manufacturing is strongly preferred.
• Experience working within a GMP-regulated environment is required.
• Strong understanding of food safety principles, GMPs, HACCP, and quality systems.
• Demonstrated experience investigating quality issues and implementing corrective actions is highly desired.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to confidently communicate with production teams and leadership.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills to manage documentation and multiple tasks accurately.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to independently investigate issues and take appropriate action within established guidelines.
• Comfortable working both on the production floor and in a laboratory environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and computer-based quality systems.
• Strong quality-focused mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or a related field is preferred.
• HACCP and food safety experience is preferred.
• Experience supporting FSSC or similar food safety and quality management systems is beneficial.
• Background in laboratory testing, including chemical, analytical, physical, and sensory evaluations.
• Experience with lab testing, quality control, quality inspection, and manufacturing quality assurance.
• Comfort working with automated machinery and FDA-regulated processes in a food manufacturing environment.

Why Work Here?

This facility offers strong opportunities for growth, with many supervisors and members of the leadership team having started as operators. Team members enjoy a small, family-style atmosphere within a larger, well-established organization that values good food and its positive impact on people and the planet. The benefits package is comprehensive, including multiple health, dental, and vision plan options, 401(k), paid time off, and an extended 26-week maternity leave. Employees also receive unique family-focused benefits, such as one year of formula for newborn babies, and have the potential to relocate to other facilities across the country, including locations such as Solon, providing long-term career mobility and development.

Work Environment

The role is based in a food manufacturing facility with a headcount of approximately 160 people, offering a small, family feel while operating within a global organization. The facility is FDA-regulated and uses automated machinery throughout production. The Quality Technician works on 2nd shift, Monday through Thursday from 3:00 PM to 2:00 AM, with Friday scheduled as needed for overtime, and a one-hour break provided. Work is split between the production floor and the laboratory, involving regular interaction with manufacturing processes, lab equipment, and computer-based quality systems. As this is a food manufacturing environment, employees follow strict hygiene and safety protocols, including wearing hair nets, beard nets when necessary, lab coats, gloves, and other appropriate protective attire. The organization is dedicated to the power of food to enhance lives, focusing on nourishing people and pets, respecting the planet, and pushing the boundaries of innovation across a broad portfolio of brands in many countries worldwide.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Cleveland, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $27.00 - $29.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Cleveland, OH.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 14, 2026.