FSQ Senior Tech

Blount Fine Foods Food Safety Quality Technician

Bringing our love of food to families for five generations! Blount Fine Foods is a family-owned and operated manufacturer, marketer, and developer of premium fresh prepared foods. We are an engaging team, bringing restaurant-quality products to America including single-serve grab-n-go fresh soups, mac & cheese, and entres in grocery stores across the country, as well as for hot bars and restaurants. Help us create the finest food experiences including those with specialty certifications that include organic, gluten-free, and low sodium, among others. Join a proven team for growth, success, and a satisfying career!

The salary range for this opportunity is $25-$25.63/hour.

This is a 3rd shift position.

Assists FSQ Management in the maintenance and improvement of overall product quality and safety. Regularly assures the effective completion and documentation of FSQ responsibilities. Provides leadership and daily direction department technicians for better reduction and resolution of quality and food safety and quality metrics/root cause. In event of absence leadership responsibility will be filled by a FSQ Supervisor, all daily task related items will be delegated by management to an adequately trained Tech II or I.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Oversees the daily review of HACCP, SSOP, and other Quality related records to assure conformance to requirements.

Takes action when non-conformances are noted, including by not limited to:

o Assisting management in making initial decision if a food safety risk is present and significant for non-conformances identified; placing affected product on hold or on hazardous hold

o Assists/conducts full investigation

o Assists management in make final disposition on product/equipment affected. Decision based on information gathered and reviewed against USDA and FDA regulations including the FDA's Seafood Hazards and Control Guide or other scientific studies.

o Looks for continuous improvement opportunities in programs and tasks versus performing tasks.

Responsible for overseeing document control and system updates; Coordinates all HACCP plan and plan related paperwork updates.

Responsible for overseeing reporting and auditing of QPE auditing and Packout auditing.

Assists Quality Management with verification and validation by designing the studies, interpreting data and finalizing reports.

Ensures trend analysis is completed for food safety and quality initiatives and communicates data to Management. Assists with implementing any action based on this analysis

Initiates tests, analyzes results, and finds solutions to technical problems.

Interacts with Operations Department to ensure continuous improvement.

Provides leadership and daily direction for shift FSQ Technicians. Coordinate the assignment and completion of daily and other than daily FSQ tasks.

Observes production activities to assure consistency and conformance to

standards, as well as providing improvement suggestions.

Work with FSQ management to resolve any issues that arise and reduction of defects

Must be able to interpret testing data in correlation with production specification and make decisions based off this information.

If assigned to the raw material lab individual may be responsible for:

o Raw material testing and analysis

o Raw material hold management.

o Nonconforming Raw Material investigation, NCR creation and submission.

o Prep-Inspection activities

Maintain finished product ON HOLD database and disposition product.

Monitors and trends all customer/consumer complaints; orchestrates corrective actions/root cause analysis and trend analysis with communication with necessary internal departments.

Final review on all customer surveys or finished product specification forms; required to communicate and obtain/necessary required information from R&D and FSQ.

Develop, update and maintain all finished product specifications within our internal system and any online customer databases as required.

Oversees the Organic Program through formulation review, supplier spec review, and supplier certification review as well as to be the direct liaison with our organic certifying body.

Carries out leadership responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities may include assisting in the interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Other duties with similar skill, work conditions, and responsibilities as assigned.

Act as liaison for regulatory (USDA /FDA) inspectors.

Responsibilities for Food Safety and Quality:

• Responsible for completing required paperwork accurately and honestly, where applicable.
• Must adhere to posted GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) when working within the production facility.
• Responsible for reporting suspicious packages, activities and individuals, where applicable.
• If monitoring CCPs (Critical Control Points), must be trained in HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and adhere to approved HACCP plan(s).
• Oversees the execution of validation and verification activities for food safety programs.
• Monitor and enforce quality control points using control charts and culinary ability.
• Monitor and carry-out various batch control tests and product sampling to ensure process is in control.
• Quality systems development and management.
• Specification development, approval and review with R&D or Culinary Assurance.
• Sensory evaluation of key ingredients and attributes.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) analysis of key analytical data.
• Continuous improvement projects both individually and as a member of a team.
• Log data and report trends using information gathered.
• Communicate any continuous improvement opportunities to Process Engineering.

Education and/or Experience:

• Associate's degree (A. A.) in a related field or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or 3 + years related quality assurance experience
• Individual must be capable of obtaining HACCP certification within six months of hire and Implementing SQF Systems within one year. This position requires a valid drivers license, pre-employment and annual screening of Motor Vehicle Record and personal automobile insurance coverage in accordance with the Blount Fine Foods Employee Handbook.

Our Total Compensation Package Includes:

• Medical, dental and vision benefits
• 401k with Company match and Profit-Sharing Plan
• Paid time off including vacation, sick time and holidays
• Education Assistance Program
• Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability
• Discounts on Blount products at Company retail locations
• Discretionary Annual Bonus Program