Quality Engineer

Quality Engineer

At Horizon Organic, we’re growing a culture of passionate people driven to do good for the horizon we all share. We’re building the tomorrow we want to see. Every single day.

Joining our team means being part of a dynamic environment where your skills are valued, and your contributions make a real difference. We offer diverse opportunities for career growth and development. Embark on a rewarding journey with us in shaping the future of organic dairy!

Two generations of families—and counting—have grown up on Horizon Organic® milk. From the start, as the leading organic milk producer in the U.S., Horizon has been committed to delivering innovative, nourishing dairy that growing families can rely on. In 2023, Horizon Organic became a brand of Platinum Equity. Today, Horizon works with more than 500 farmers across the U.S. to bring high-quality, certified organic milk to consumers. For more information on Horizon’s full portfolio of organic dairy products, visit Horizon.com.

Horizon Organic Benefits: 

• Competitive Starting Salary
• Bonus Eligible
• Medical, Dental and Vision on the 1st of the month after after 30 days of employment
• Flexible Time off per company policy upon hire
• 401K with Company Match 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Tuition Reimbursement eligible
• Fitness Reimbursement eligible
• Employee Discount Program 

About the Job:  

We are currently looking to hire a Quality Engineer! 

The Quality Engineer will support the implementation of the Horizon Organic Dairy Quality Assurance standards through technical guidance, analysis, and leadership to continuously improve quality performance.  This person will report and analyze quality related trends and anticipate possible issues, support the plant’s objectives of safety, quality, efficiency, productivity and customer service.  The Quality Engineer is accountable for capability assessment and improvement in the areas of food safety controls, product specification performance, as well as cleaning and sanitation validation.

This role will be onsite at the Salt Lake City Plant.  

This role may be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Provide technical guidance, analysis, and leadership driving improvements in sanitation processes/systems, and food manufacturing processes.
• Identify root cause and instigate permanent corrective actions for product quality issues.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to resolve quality issues that arise as quickly and efficiently as possible to prevent compromising quality and safety standards.
• Carry out product and process auditing
• Lead quality audits.
• Produce written reports and make presentations.
• Undertake continuous training and development.
• Perform root cause analysis and resolve problems.
• Independently determine approach and assigned tasks. 
• Support regular inspection meetings with representatives from appropriate departments to establish an action plan for improving build quality.
• Liaise and communicate with other departments, the shop floor, customers, suppliers and other service providers.
• Lead the validation of cleaning effectiveness via the Neptune (sanitation) program.
• Lead the Environmental Monitoring Program, including organizing sampling, sendout testing, and remediations.
• Lead change management processes related to new products, packaging, equipment, production processes, etc. 
• Assess process capability across key product platforms.
• Compile and analyze KPIs indicative of production line health (quality performance, microbiological quality, preventive maintenance, sanitation effectiveness, etc.) and drive improvement actions. 
• Support the analysis of customer and consumer feedback to identify improvement opportunities.  Drive improvement by implementing corrective actions.
• Troubleshoot non-conformances (raw materials, packaging, product, environmental monitoring, etc.) and drive root cause analysis.  Assign corrective action, collaborate with supply-quality and other functions, and follow-up on completion.

About You: 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a science related field (Microbiology, Food Safety, or similar) or other technical discipline.
• 3-5 years of experience in the dairy/food/beverage manufacturing industry, including supervisory experience.
• Proven ability to establish, optimize and maintain world-class quality system and team.
• Prior experience using structured and data driven problem-solving techniques (RCPS, Six-sigma, LEAN, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to influence others and be a team player.
• The ability to develop/implement core work practices and standards that ensure excellence in quality.
• The ability to rapidly assess, analyze, and quickly resolve complicated quality problems with little initial information or direction and with varying degrees of ambiguity.
• The ability to multitask and manage priorities while allocating time to long-term, continuous improvement projects.
• Strong “self-management” skills and be comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Established project management skills. Must bring leadership, interpersonal and communication skills required to interact with various levels of plant and corporate personnel and influence others.
• Willingness to work flexible schedules as needed to support 7-day per week, 24-hour per day production facilities. Work schedules could include occasional off-shift or weekend work.
• Knows all the safety rules, plant rules, GMP, and code of ethics and follows them strictly at all times.

Horizon Organic Dairy North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, genetic testing information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military service, status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, disability or any other consideration made unlawful by state, federal or local law. All employment practices and personnel actions, including hiring, termination, job assignment, compensation, discipline, and access to benefits and training are made without regard to any status protected under applicable law. It is our policy to select the most qualified person for each position in the organization, whether that is a new hire, a transfer to another position, or a promotion.

This policy applies to all persons involved in the operation of Horizon Organic Dairy North America, including, but not limited to, employees, vendors, customers and their employees, contract and temporary workers and anyone else on the Company’s property.