QA Specialist

QA Specialist- Asian Food Industry- Prefer Japanese, Chinese, Korean bilingual skills

A leading food importer and distributor is seeking a QA Specialist to protect product safety, regulatory compliance, traceability, and brand integrity across a multi-branch operation. This position owns HACCP programs, supplier audits, imported-product labeling, sanitation, customer documentation, complaint investigations, and inspection readiness.

The strongest candidate will have food quality or food-safety experience within importing, distribution, manufacturing, warehousing, or grocery supply chain. Japanese or broader Asian food experience is highly preferred, and business-level Japanese is valuable for reviewing product labels and ingredients.

Location: El Monte, California

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with a one-hour lunch

Work Setting: Onsite office and warehouse environment, with supplier and branch travel

Role Type: Direct hire

Compensation: $72,000-$92,000 in annual total compensation, including a performance-based bonus opportunity; bonus is not guaranteed

Relocation Assistance: May be considered for the right candidate

Benefits

• Company-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• Company-paid life insurance.
• 401(k) plan with company match.

These benefits match the current role listing for the El Monte position. QA Specialist listing

Responsibilities

• Implement and monitor HACCP, sanitation, GMP/GDP, food-defense, recall, allergen-control, and supplier-verification programs.
• Conduct supplier food-safety audits, document hazards, and follow corrective actions through closure.
• Maintain specifications, COAs, laboratory results, guarantees, audit records, calibration documentation, and customer questionnaires.
• Oversee warehouse sanitation and pest-control programs.
• Review imported-product labels, ingredients, and allergens for federal and state compliance.
• Investigate complaints, determine root cause, and execute corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain and improve quality systems, SOPs, policies, forms, metrics, and training across company branches.
• Coordinate with the FDA, USDA, and local health departments during inspections.
• Support sales teams with regulatory documentation and customer QA requests.
• Travel to suppliers and branches and participate in occasional company events and semiannual weekend inventory.

Qualifications

• Business-level English.
• Working knowledge of HACCP, GMP/GDP, sanitation, allergens, recalls, traceability, and supplier controls.
• Strong QA, supplier, audit, product, and regulatory documentation experience.
• Ability to research food regulations and translate requirements into procedures.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills and familiarity with Business Central, SAP, or another ERP.
• Ability to work onsite, travel by car or airplane, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or a related field.
• Three or more years of food QA, food safety, supplier quality, or regulatory experience.
• Japanese or broader Asian food-industry experience.
• Business-level Japanese and Japanese-label review capability.
• HACCP, GMP, PCQI, SQF, or comparable food-safety training.