Quality Assurance Technician

Quality Assurance TechnicianProtect Product Quality. Support Food Safety. Make an Impact Every Day.Tamarack Foods is seeking a dependable, detail-oriented Quality Assurance Technician to help ensure our food products meet company, customer, and regulatory standards.This is a hands-on position for someone who takes pride in accuracy, follows procedures consistently, and is comfortable working directly within a food-production environment. The Quality Assurance Technician will monitor manufacturing activities, complete inspections and testing, maintain accurate records, and collaborate with Production and Sanitation employees to protect product safety and quality.Candidates should have one to two years of relevant experience in quality assurance, food safety, food manufacturing, sanitation, laboratory testing, or a related production environment. Previous experience in a USDA-regulated, ready-to-eat food-manufacturing facility is a significant plus. However, candidates with strong transferable food-production or quality-control experience are also encouraged to apply.What You'll DoFood-Safety and Quality MonitoringMonitor production operations to verify compliance with:Good Manufacturing Practices.HACCP requirements.Finished-product specifications.Process sheets.Standard operating procedures.Sanitation standard operating procedures.Company and customer quality standards.Complete accurate, timely, and legible food-safety and quality records.Promptly communicate food-safety, regulatory, sanitation, or product-quality concerns.Work with Production and Sanitation employees to correct deficiencies and prevent recurring issues.Help maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready manufacturing environment.Preoperational and Operational InspectionsPerform preoperational inspections of production equipment, tools, utensils, and facility areas.Verify that equipment and production areas are clean and ready for operation.Conduct ATP swabbing and accurately document the results.Inspect boot foamers and other sanitation-control systems.Monitor facility housekeeping and operational cleanliness.Observe employee practices for compliance with GMP, hygiene, and food-safety requirements.Complete required inspection records and follow up on identified concerns.Product Safety and Process ControlRespond to foreign-material incidents according to established procedures.Assist with product holds, segregation, documentation, and authorized release activities.Collect product samples and support microbiological testing.Calibrate and verify thermometers, scales, and other quality-control equipment.Perform internal plant audits and document findings.Escalate deviations involving food safety, critical limits, product specifications, sanitation, or regulatory requirements.Production-Area ResponsibilitiesCutting and Marinating AreasInspect incoming raw chicken breast and dark-meat materials to confirm they are received in acceptable condition.Verify compliance with raw-material specifications involving temperature, bones, skin, veins, hard cartilage, connective tissue, and other quality characteristics.Monitor the safe handling of refrigerated meat and poultry ingredients.Confirm that required room and product temperatures are maintained throughout cutting and marinating operations.Document inspection findings and promptly communicate material or process concerns.Fry LineVerify that battered, breaded, baked, fried, and fully cooked meat and poultry products meet established time and temperature requirements.Confirm that products achieve required minimum internal temperatures and applicable process specifications.Evaluate physical product characteristics, including:Size and uniformity.Product defects.Batter pickup.Flavor and odor.Overall appearance and finished-product quality.Collect and weigh required product samples.Grade products according to customer and company specifications.Accurately record results on processing and finished-product grading documents.Packaging AreaMonitor cooling, freezing, and packaging processes for fully cooked products.Verify that required times and temperatures are maintained to control microbial growth and preserve product quality.Confirm that finished products are packaged safely and according to established specifications.Monitor and verify metal-detector performance according to required procedures.Document metal-detector checks and respond appropriately to failed verifications or product concerns.Help ensure finished products are protected from potentially harmful foreign materials.Additional ResponsibilitiesSupport internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party inspections or audits.Assist other members of the Quality Assurance team as operational needs require.Perform other related duties as assigned throughout the facility.Work EnvironmentThis position works primarily within an active food-manufacturing facility. Some production areas are maintained below 50°F, while other areas may be warm because of cooking and frying operations.The successful candidate must be comfortable moving between refrigerated and warm production areas while consistently following food-safety, sanitation, and personal protective equipment requirements.QualificationsRequiredHigh school diploma or equivalent.One to two years of experience in quality assurance, food safety, food manufacturing, sanitation, laboratory testing, or a related production environment.Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate recordkeeping.Ability to follow written procedures, product specifications, and food-safety requirements.Ability to read and write English at the level necessary to understand procedures, complete required records, and communicate safety and quality concerns.Basic math and computer skills.Effective verbal communication skills.Dependable, organized, and able to maintain a positive, professional attitude.Willingness to work in refrigerated areas below 50°F and in warmer areas associated with cooking operations.Ability to work collaboratively while appropriately identifying and escalating food-safety or quality concerns.Highly PreferredOne to two years of experience in a USDA-regulated food-manufacturing environment is a significant plus.Experience supporting quality assurance or food-safety activities involving USDA-regulated ready-to-eat products is highly desirable.Experience working with ready-to-eat meat or poultry products.Working knowledge of USDA requirements, GMPs, HACCP, SSOPs, product holds, ATP testing, internal audits, or microbiological sampling.Experience monitoring cooking, cooling, freezing, packaging, or metal-detection processes.Experience calibrating thermometers, scales, or other quality-control equipment.Preferred Candidate ProfileOur strongest candidates will have approximately one to two years of quality assurance or food-safety experience within a USDA-regulated, ready-to-eat food-manufacturing facility.USDA RTE experience is not an absolute requirement, but it will be considered a major advantage during the selection process. Applicants should clearly identify relevant USDA, RTE, meat or poultry, food-safety, sanitation, and quality-control experience on their résumé.Why Join Tamarack Foods?At Tamarack Foods, Quality Assurance Technicians play a direct role in protecting our consumers, customers, products, and company. This position provides an opportunity to build valuable experience in food safety, USDA-regulated manufacturing, quality systems, and fully cooked food production.Tamarack Foods offers:Competitive compensation.Medical and dental insurance.A 401(k) savings plan with employer match.Profit sharing.A supportive, team-oriented work environment.Opportunities to build food-safety and quality-assurance experience.Complimentary food products.About Tamarack FoodsTamarack Foods is a family-owned food-manufacturing company located in Americus, Georgia, and a sister company to B&D Foods in Boise, Idaho.Our Americus facility has been fully renovated to produce battered and fried protein products under USDA inspection. Our employees are the foundation of our business, and we are committed to creating a workplace where people are supported, respected, and given opportunities to contribute.Equal Employment OpportunityTamarack Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diverse backgrounds, life experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

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