Quality Assurance Specialist

Quality Assurance Specialist

A leading supplier of high-quality ingredients to the Food, Pet Food, and Dietary Supplement industries is seeking a rigorous, detail-oriented Quality Assurance Specialist to assist with preparation for an upcoming Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) audit for FSSC 22000 certification.

This role balances daily hands-on plant floor verification with critical administrative compliance. You will ensure facility sanitation, daily operations, and ingredient tracking align with active SOPs, while actively managing our Supplier Qualification program to guarantee compliance from farm to facility.

Daily Facility & Sanitation Oversight

• Facility Walkthroughs: Conduct structured daily walkthroughs of the facility to audit operational conditions, GMP compliance, and overall plant hygiene.

• Sanitation Verification: Verify the cleaning and sanitation of processing equipment and facility environments, ensuring chemical concentrations, pre-operational checks, and logs are correctly executed and recorded.

• SOP Compliance Auditing: Monitor daily operations to ensure active Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are physically followed by all staff.

Sampling, Testing & Product Release

• Ingredient Sampling: Perform physical sampling of raw materials, in-process ingredients, and finished products according to established QA sampling plans.

• Test Results Review: Review internal and external laboratory analytical test data, including Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) and microbiological/chemical testing results.

• Product Release: Officially review records and approve the release of compliant ingredients, or flag and place non-conforming materials on hold.

Supplier Qualification & Compliance Management

• Supplier Qualification Program: Manage and maintain the Supplier Qualification program, ensuring all vendor documentation (audits, third-party certificates, specifications, and regulatory statements) is accurate, thorough, and up to date.

• Audit Preparation: Organize, update, and manage the technical document control system to ensure complete audit readiness for the upcoming FSSC 22000 / GFSI certification.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: 24 years of hands-on QA/QC experience within the Food, Beverage, Pet Food, or Dietary Supplement manufacturing/distribution industries.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, or a related scientific discipline preferred.

• Technical Knowledge: Direct experience with sanitation verification methods (e.g., ATP swabbing, allergen testing) and reviewing lab test results/CoAs.

• Audit Familiarity: Solid understanding of cGMPs, HACCP, and GFSI frameworks (FSSC 22000, SQF, or BRC).

• Attributes: High attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the confidence to enforce quality standards on the facility floor.

Compensation / Pay Rate (Up to): $24.00 - $30.00 Per Hour