Quality Assurance Specialist

Quality Assurance Specialist

The Quality Assurance Specialist maintains and continuously improves the site's quality management system and food safety programs for food ingredient manufacturing facility that supplies ingredients to the food industry. This role functions as a junior Quality Assurance Manager in training, offering significant autonomy and exposure to quality systems, audits, and regulatory compliance, with a clear path toward a full Quality Assurance Manager position.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, update, and improve the quality management system (QMS) and all related documentation across the facility.
• Review, investigate, and document non-conformances, ensuring timely corrective actions and proper records of corrections and outcomes.
• Manage change control requests and quality documentation to ensure all changes meet internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and improve the food safety program (PCQI), including cleaning and hygiene protocols, to ensure consistent product safety.
• Maintain, update, and implement the HACCP plan and follow corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes as needed.
• Perform and lead internal and external audits, including FDA audits, FSSC audits, and other regulatory or certification audits.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements, including FDA, FSMA, and CFIA regulations.
• Oversee product labeling for new products and regulatory changes, and ensure internal stakeholders receive timely updates on requirements.
• Coordinate, deliver, and maintain food safety training for all personnel on site, ensuring training records remain current.
• Handle audits, CAPA activities, root cause analyses (RCA), and non-conformance management for the entire site.
• Maintain quality documentation and quality tracking systems to support continuous improvement and regulatory readiness.
• Report monthly on findings, including corrective actions, resolutions, improvements, and root causes, and present these to relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with production, laboratory, and other functional teams to ensure quality and food safety standards are consistently applied throughout the plant.

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated experience in quality assurance within a food or food-ingredient manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on knowledge of quality management systems (QMS) and their implementation in a plant setting.
• Practical experience with HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) programs, including plan maintenance and execution.
• Proficiency with PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) responsibilities and food safety program management.
• Working knowledge of FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) requirements and their application in manufacturing.
• Familiarity with CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) regulations and expectations.
• Experience with FSSC-based audits or similar food safety certification schemes.
• Ability to manage and document CAPA processes, root cause analyses (RCA), and non-conformance investigations.
• Strong documentation, reporting, and organizational skills to maintain complete and accurate quality records.
• Ability to lead and participate in internal and external audits, including regulatory and certification audits.
• Capability to coordinate and deliver food safety training across a site.
• Comfort working with cross-functional teams in a manufacturing environment to uphold quality and food safety standards.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Background in Food Safety, Microbiology, Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Formal training or certification in HACCP.
• PCQI training or certification.
• Familiarity with FDA, FSMA, CFIA, and FSSC frameworks and expectations.
• Experience with quality assurance with ingredient production is beneficial.
• Interest in growing into a full Quality Assurance Manager role and taking on broader leadership responsibilities over time.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially in investigating non-conformances and implementing sustainable improvements.
• Effective communication skills to clearly convey quality and food safety requirements to diverse teams.

Work Environment

The Quality Assurance Specialist works closely with all departments in the facility and primarily operates from an office environment, with occasional visits to production areas and laboratories as needed for audits, investigations, and verification activities. The position follows a first-shift schedule, Monday through Friday, with a flexible start time to support work–life balance. The site is smaller in scale, which allows one person to manage the quality systems more effectively and gain broad exposure to all aspects of quality and food safety. The organization offers strong benefits, including comprehensive medical coverage, and emphasizes autonomy, professional growth, and promotion opportunities within quality assurance.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Glendale, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $70000.00 - $80000.00/yr. This company offers health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance. They also offer 401k match, paid vacation, and paid holidays. Their health insurance covers 100% of their medical so it is a very strong benefits program.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Glendale,WI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 20, 2026.