Who we are:

Founded in 2013, Thistle is an early-stage food-tech startup empowering our customers to get and stay healthy while improving our food system’s sustainability. We deliver delicious, organic, healthy, plant-forward meals, cold-pressed juices, and snacks to customers on the West Coast at the elusive intersection of convenience, health, and sustainability.

We don’t want to be just another food delivery startup. Our focus is on our customers’ health and happiness, and we are revolutionizing how fresh, nutritious, high-quality food is purchased, manufactured, and delivered at scale. Thistle is headquartered in Vacaville, CA, and we are backed by some amazing investors.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Quality Assurance Manager, Quality Assurance Technicians are responsible for performing standardized quality control checks to ensure they meet the required legal and company standards for safety and quality. This role is required to maintain calibrations, monitor equipment, check product integrity, and identify areas for quality control improvement. 

This is a unique opportunity to be part of the early team at Thistle’s brand new East Coast facility, located in Burlington, NJ, responsible for launching and growing Thistle East operations to bring delicious, plant-forward, and planet-friendly meals to customers on the East Coast. 

This position is 100% onsite at our Burlington facility.

What you'll do

• Follow and implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Work closely with production line QCs to assure complete and accurate record keeping.
• Support production QCs in day-to-day quality checks and in adherence to preventive controls.
• Train production teams on food safety and quality control procedures.
• Conduct pre-operational line inspections and residual swabs.
• Conduct in house testing- pH, weight checks, temperature checks, label verifications, microbial testing, ATP, allergen testing, and organoleptic evaluations.
• Calibrate critical equipment- thermometers, pH meters, scales etc.
• Monitor sanitation chemical concentration.
• Evaluate line samples at predetermined intervals and/or random line checks. 
• Monitor environmental testing program.
• Ensure employee practices, goods, and products comply with company standards as well as Federal and State law.
• Check that the assembly and production lines adhere to standards and procedures and comply with legal requirements.
• Identify possible areas for improvement in quality control processes.

• AA degree (Bachelor's preferred) in quality management or a related field
• 2-3 years of experience as an Inspector or Quality Technician
• Valid Food Handlers Certification for state working in 
• Desire to grow into leadership positions and develop leadership skills
• Strong communication skills that put people first and the ability to balance empathy and direct feedback to both support and advocate for the team and also maintain consistent standards of performance
• Ability to form effective working relationships with cross-functional teams
• Ability to adhere to company SOPs and implement new initiatives as needed
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills
• Solid understanding of HACCP requirements and food safety standards
• Experience with writing and enforcing standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Advanced organizational skills and excellent attention to detail
• Experience drafting reports and collating data
• Documentation and reporting skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Good communication skills, convey clear and concise instructions
• Ability to work cross-functionally with minimal supervision
• Willingness to work in noisy and/or cold environments
• Comfortable standing or walking for long periods
• Up-to-date knowledge of federal and industry standards and best practices
• Advance computer and math skills to calibrate and measure specifications

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values at Thistle. We know we do our best and most impactful work when we feel we are represented and belong. We're proud to actively recruit and hire talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.