Quality Assurance Tech 1st- Food Processing

What you’ll do

Perform pre-operational inspections of production areas, equipment, and facilities; require corrective cleaning when needed.

Conduct in-process and finished-product inspections against specifications, quality standards, and customer requirements.

Verify scales, thermometers, metal detectors, and other monitoring equipment, and coordinate corrective action for deficiencies.

Complete and document food safety and quality checks, including CCP monitoring, temperature checks, metal detector verification, hand rinse and footbath testing, microbiological sampling, and AQL inspections.

Verify formulations, ingredient lot numbers, production records, net weights, labels, code dates, declarations, and traceability records.

Inspect incoming ingredients, packaging materials, and returned products for compliance with specifications and regulations.

Monitor employee compliance with GMPs, hygiene requirements, sanitation procedures, SOPs, and SSOPs.

Collect and prepare product, ingredient, environmental, and food-contact surface samples for testing and analysis.

Maintain accurate inspection forms, quality records, reports, and electronic documentation.

Communicate concerns promptly and partner with Production, Maintenance, and Quality Assurance on corrective actions, audits, inspections, and improvement activities.

What you bring

High school diploma or equivalent.

The ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.

Strong attention to detail and the ability to perform visual and measured inspections accurately and consistently.

The ability to read and interpret production records, specifications, labels, regulatory requirements, and quality documentation.

Comfort using Microsoft Word, Excel, electronic recordkeeping, and quality or production management systems.

The ability to organize priorities, work independently, collaborate across departments, and respond effectively in a fast-paced production environment.

Accountability, reliability, integrity, sound judgment, and a willingness to raise food safety or compliance concerns promptly.

Preferred qualifications

Coursework or training in food science, quality assurance, microbiology, or a related field.

One to two years of experience in quality assurance, food manufacturing, food processing, or a related production environment.

Familiarity with HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, SOPs, USDA/FSIS requirements, OSHA standards, HazMat procedures, or food safety programs.

Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.

Work environment & physical requirements

This role is performed primarily in a food manufacturing environment and requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, climbing, and lifting while conducting inspections and collecting samples. The environment may be cold, wet, noisy, or subject to varying temperatures, moving machinery, food products, cleaning chemicals, and sanitation agents. You must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, wear required PPE, and work safely around production equipment. Schedules may include weekends, holidays, overtime, or adjustments to support production, sanitation, audits, customer needs, and regulatory inspections.