Quality Assurance Specialist

Official Title - SQF Practitioner

The SQF Practitioner leads the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the facility’s SQF Food Safety Management System. As the designated food safety professional for the site, this individual acts as the primary contact for regulatory agencies, customers, and third-party auditors. They champion a culture of food safety across high-speed, high-demand production lines.

Key Responsibilities

• SQF System Maintenance: Develop, validate, and verify the site’s SQF system to maintain certification. Update documentation as necessary to adapt to regulatory changes.
• HACCP & Preventive Controls: Manage and audit HACCP-based food safety plans, monitoring Critical Control Points (CCPs) tailored to frozen food manufacturing environments.
• Audit Preparation: Lead and facilitate third-party SQF audits, customer inspections, and FDA compliance evaluations.
• Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA): Investigate quality non-conformances, conduct root-cause analyses, and implement CAPA protocols for product deviations or customer feedback.
• Sanitation & Pest Control Support: Oversee and review facility Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and pest control documentation alongside the facility's sanitation crews.
• Employee Training: Administer ongoing food safety, allergen management, and GMP training to production floor employees. Maintain accurate training logs.
• Records Verification: Perform standard review of daily Quality Assurance (QA) paperwork and plant performance metrics for compliance transparency.

Job Qualifications

• Experience: 3–5 years of progressive Quality Assurance or food safety experience within a food manufacturing facility. Background in frozen foods or high-speed manufacturing environments is preferred.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, or a closely related scientific field is preferred.
• Core Certifications: Must hold a formal validation of HACCP Competency and have successfully completed formal SQF Practitioner training. PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification is highly desired.
• Technical Skills: Exceptional familiarity with FDA regulatory mandates, FSMA regulations, allergen control programs, and traceability protocols. Proficiency in standard business software like Microsoft Excel and Word is expected.