Quality Assurance Technician

Job Title: Quality Assurance Technician

Job Description

As a Quality Assurance Technician, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and quality of our food products. Your primary responsibility is to maintain high standards of safety and quality in our production processes by facilitating effective communication between Quality Assurance staff and other departments. You will verify, document, and conduct various tests on raw materials, finished products, and packaging materials. Your role also involves collaborating with manufacturing operators to prevent defects and manage quality holds effectively.

Responsibilities

• Work safely by following proper methods and completing Safety Observations in a timely manner.
• Facilitate communication between QA staff and other departments within the plant.
• Verify and document the calibration of lab testing equipment.
• Check codes on boxes, cases, and pallets to ensure correct coding of finished products.
• Perform finished product testing, raw material testing, and package material testing as specified per the testing control plan.
• Conduct established lab tests consistent with the company"s Quality Assurance procedures/methods for pasta.
• Perform cooking evaluations on production samples and dimension testing on finished product samples using micrometers and calipers.
• Document and summarize experimental data for analysis and interpretation.
• Serve as the contact person for production and communicate changes and issues to supervisors.
• Input data into the data collection system and track in Excel as needed.
• Collaborate with manufacturing operators to prevent defects and remove causes when defects are found.
• Perform routine maintenance on lab equipment.
• Manage Quality holds to ensure isolation and prevent accidental shipment.
• Compile end-of-the-month reports as required.
• Work in conjunction with the corporate office to facilitate product release in the absence of the Quality Professional.

Essential Skills

• 1+ year of previous lab experience is required.
• Bachelor"s Degree in Food Science, Culinary Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or other related field.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, GMPs, food safety, GLPs, statistics, and lab techniques is preferred.
• Experience in quality assurance, quality control, food science, microbiology, and food chemistry.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Strong passion for food science.
• Safety-focused mindset.
• Ability to prioritize tasks effectively and manage time efficiently.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs regularly.
• Strong attention to detail; must not be color blind or visually impaired.

Work Environment

This role requires working the night shift from 6pm to 2am. Initially, training will occur Monday to Friday from 7 AM to 4 PM for approximately 6-8 weeks. The team consists of diverse individuals with a mixture of outgoing and reserved personalities. The dress code is casual but safety-focused, requiring steel-toed or composite boots and work-appropriate jeans and t-shirts. The company culture values integrity, trust, courage, and passion, and promotes a diverse and inclusive environment where employees are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Ames, IA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $23.91 - $26.30/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Ames,IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.