Quality Specialist I

Meet Us: King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking since 1790. Headquartered in Norwich, Vermont, we're the ultimate baking resource - providing education, inspiration, and the highest quality products, all while fostering connections and community through baking. Our superior flours and mixes are available in supermarkets nationwide, and our direct-to-consumer business - website and retail stores - offers an even wider selection of specialty baking ingredients, mixes, gluten-free products, baking tools, and more. We bring baking education to millions of bakers through our cookbooks, podcast, recipe app, website, and baking school. We're proud to be 100% employee-owned, which means everyone who works here has a real voice and a shared stake in what we do. This creates a strong sense of community built on trust, teamwork, and love of baking. As a benefit corporation, we're committed to the best interests of all our stakeholders - employees, our local communities, our broader community of bakers, and our planet. Join us and help spread the joy of baking. King Arthur - where, as an employee-owner, your passion and ideas can truly make a difference.

The Position: The Quality Specialist I provides on-site Quality support to Merlin Manufacturing during second shift and ensures compliance with internal Quality Policies, FDA regulations, and SQF requirements. The role independently conducts non-conforming material and equipment investigations, recommends product and equipment dispositions to the Quality Systems Manager, and completes required documentation. This position maintains assigned Quality inspection, testing, and SQF programs, including upkeep of testing equipment and program records. The Quality Specialist I conducts routine Quality inspections, follows up on non-conformances, and communicates findings to key stakeholders. The role also supports development and delivery of required Quality and Redzone trainings. This position regularly collaborates with Production and Maintenance teams and provides designated Food Safety and Quality coverage based on SQF one-up/one-down requirements.

The Benefits: Yes, we have the regular "stuff" - medical, dental, vision, company paid short- and long-term disability, life insurance, paid parental leave, paid time off to rest, paid holidays to have fun, a 401(k) with a company match. But here's what makes us different: 40 paid volunteer hours a year, profit sharing*, participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)* and knowing that those working with you are dedicated and engaged co-employee owners that believe in you and your extraordinary abilities to move us all forward.


The Location: White River Junction, VT; onsite daily.

The Pay: $42,600 to $57,500 annual salary; commensurate with experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Independently conducts non-conforming material and equipment investigations on second shift, recommends disposition decisions to Quality Systems Manager and completes necessary documentation associated with product/equipment holds
• Partners with Production Supervisor, Team Lead, and Maintenance personnel to ensure compliance to Quality Policies and Procedures
• Maintains Quality Inspection and Testing Programs, including maintenance of associated testing equipment, as assigned by Quality Systems Manager
• Maintains assigned SQF programs, including authoring procedures and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), completing monitoring activities, and maintaining required registers and program documentation
• Conducts Quality inspections, including Start of Run and Final Release checks, documents results, escalates findings, and ensures appropriate follow-up on non-conformances.
• Supports creation and delivery of Quality-related trainings, including Redzone Quality Checks, annual refreshers, new policies/procedures, and required retraining.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to support continuous improvement and corrective/preventive action activities.

• In the absence of key personnel, assumes responsibility of Food Safety and Quality tasks based on one up, one down SQF requirements

• One Up: Quality Systems Manager
• One Down: N/A

Education and experience

• 2-3 years of experience in Production and/or Quality, with at least 1-2 years of a Quality-focused role, preferably in Food Manufacturing
• HACCP Certification (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt or above
• Experience with Production and Quality Management Software
• Proficient in ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning)

Competencies

• Communication and collaboration: Demonstrates effective verbal and written communication skills to peers, cross-functional partners and leadership. Ability to collaborate and negotiate through difficult conversations and potentially unpopular decisions to maintain compliance to policies and procedures
• Highly organized, motivated and detail oriented: Demonstrates the ability to independently manage multiple priorities, maintain high attention to detail under high pressure situations and hit required deadlines while maintaining a positive and collaborative attitude
• Solutions oriented: Proactive in both identifying and providing constructive solutions to potential issues and non-conformances. Willing to put action to those findings and open to feedback related to identified solutions from peers, cross-functional partners and leadership.
• Risk Assessment and Technical Acumen: Performs sound risk assessment during investigations, including determining product and equipment impact. Demonstrates understanding of production processes and equipment and seeks to expand technical knowledge to support future decision-making.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment/Safety

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical requirements

• Ability to work for prolonged periods at a desk, both in a home office and onsite, using a computer and other standard office equipment.
• Regular use of computer keyboard, mouse, and video conferencing tools.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, and through digital platforms.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, or reaching within the office environment.
• May occasionally be required to lift or move items up to 15 pounds (e.g., office materials, documents).
• Visual acuity needed for reviewing documents, spreadsheets, and data on screens.
• Ability to commute to the office for in-person meetings, trainings, or other business needs as required.

Work Environment

• Occasional dusty environment from dry ingredients
• Environment where many common food allergens are present
• Temperatures on the receiving floor that can be below 60 degrees at times

Safety

• Understands that safety is the responsibility of everyone at the organization and is responsible for adhering to/providing work in a safe and ergonomic manner, identifying unsafe conditions and correcting conditions immediately or reporting them promptly.
• Participates in safety and compliance training and safety and health programs.

Supervisory Responsibility

• N/A

Travel

• N/A

Environment

• Adheres to company-wide green norms, looks for ways to reduce, reuse, recycle
• Educates oneself on KAB environmental campaigns
• Strives to continually improve and implement new processes to reduce our environmental impact

Other Duties

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers, and vendors.

There's room at our table for you! Apply today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors protected by law. King Arthur Baking provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to participate in both the application process and during employment. Such individuals are encouraged to seek accommodations to allow them to apply for a position, participate in the application process, and meet the essential functions and requirements of the position.

*Amounts vary based on achievement of financial targets. Participation based on hire date and program entry date.