SUMMARY

The Quality Specialist is an advanced technical role responsible for supporting and improving quality systems, food safety programs, manufacturing processes, and continuous improvement initiatives in a food and beverage manufacturing environment. This position leads quality projects and complex investigations, applies independent judgment to resolve quality and food safety concerns, provides technical support to Quality and Operations, and influences cross-functional improvements across the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

· Lead quality investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions.

· Support and improve quality and food safety systems, including HACCP, SQF, GMPs, SOPs, and regulatory compliance.

· Provide hands-on quality support on the production floor, including responding to quality concerns, reviewing product and process conditions, supporting holds or dispositions, and partnering with Operations to resolve issues in real time.

· Lead continuous improvement and process optimization projects focused on quality, efficiency, and risk reduction.

· Analyze quality data and trends to identify recurring issues and improvement opportunities.

· Support internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.

· Develop and improve quality procedures, standards, training, and documentation.

· Maintain accurate quality records, investigation documentation, corrective action records, and supporting documentation in accordance with company, regulatory, customer, and certification requirements.

· Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Quality Technicians and Coordinators.

· Lead cross-functional quality projects and influence improvements across Operations, R&D, Warehouse, and other departments.

· Support new product, process, equipment, and material implementations from a quality perspective.

· Serve as a technical resource and escalation point for complex quality issues.  

Food Safety 

This position is responsible for notifying management of actual or potential food safety issues and is empowered to act within the scope of the role to help resolve food safety concerns. If this position is vacant for a significant period of time, responsibility for completion of food safety and quality-related tasks will transfer to the direct manager or a qualified designee.

QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience:

Qualified candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. 

Candidates should also have three to five years of progressive experience in Quality, Food Safety, or food/beverage manufacturing, with increasing responsibility in quality systems, investigations, compliance, or continuous improvement. 

The role requires strong knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, food safety, and quality systems; demonstrated experience conducting investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions; strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills; and the ability to lead projects and influence cross-functional partners without direct authority. PCQI, HACCP, SQF, Lean Six Sigma, or related quality and food safety certification or experience is preferred.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands 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. 

· While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to finger, handle and feel objects, tools, and controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, bend, and reach with hands and arms.

· The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.