Supplier Compliance Specialist

Summary:

The Supplier Approval and Compliance Specialist ensures that all suppliers meet company, regulatory, and customer requirements related to food safety, quality, and legal compliance. This role manages supplier approval programs, monitors compliance with GFSI and FSMA standards, and supports audits, risk assessments, and corrective actions. This role involves administrative tasks, data entry, and coordination with internal teams and suppliers to ensure compliance with regulatory and company standards. This person acts as the primary contact for supplier verification and documentation.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Education: High School Diploma or associate or bachelor’s degree (Food Science, agriculture or related field) preferred.
• Knowledge: Basic understanding of HACCP Principles, produce safety, GAP, FSMA regulation, and familiarity with GFSI schemes (e.g., SQF, PrimusGFS, BRCGS) is a plus.
• Technical skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook), database systems, and strong document management skills.
• Experiences: 1–2 years in food safety, quality assurance, or administrative support in the food industry (produce preferred).
• Other skills: Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, ability to work with cross-functional teams and suppliers.

Job Responsibilities:

• Maintain and update the Approved Supplier List (ASL) for all vendors and ingredients.
• Collect, review and verify supplier documents, including:
• Third-party audit certificates (e.g., PrimusGFS, SQF, BRCGS).
• Certificate of analysis (COA), Letters of guarantee (LOG) and Certificates of insurance (COI).
• Food safety/HACCP plans.
• GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certifications.
• Manage supplier onboarding and re-approval processes.
• Ensure supplier records are up-to-date and comply with FSMA Produce Safety Rule, GFSI requirements especially for high-risk produce items.
• Communicate with suppliers to collect missing or expired documentation.
• Enter and maintain supplier and product data (GRL, Harvest date, harvest region/COO) in company databases.
• Prepare and organize documentation for customers and regulatory audits.
• Support the food safety team with traceability documentation and product recall exercises.
• Monitor and report any non-conformance or gaps in supplier compliance.
• Assist in internal audits, third-party audit, regulatory inspections and corrective actions related to supplier approval.
• Support the food safety manager in projects related to supplier verification and approval.
• Assist with the development, review, and maintenance of Food safety plans and food safety records.
• Ensure proper filing and retention of CCPs (Critical Control Points), monitoring logs, and verification records.
• Update and maintain SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), SSOPs (Sanitation SOPs), and other key documents as directed.
• Assist QA and Food Safety teams with daily paperwork checks and document verification.
• Compile reports related to supplier compliance, audits, and HACCP/Food safety performance.
• Support training initiatives by organizing training records and maintaining compliance logs.

Condition of Employment:

• The successful candidate will be required to provide documentation demonstrating the right to work in the United States upon hire.
• The successful candidate must submit to post offer, pre-employment drug testing.
• The successful candidate will be subject to employment history checks