Food Safety Specialist - ALBQ

Summary:

The Food Safety Specialist administers all food safety and sanitation activities in our retail stores to ensure compliance with established laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; and communicates the standards for safe food and a wholesome environment for all guests, team members, and partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Conducts frequent and unscheduled visits of assigned stores to assess food safety and sanitation, with particular emphasis on those stores with higher risk, unusual cleaning supply movement, evidence of pest problems, history of guest complaints, any non-compliance on food safety audits or regulatory health inspections, or recent management concerns.

Review all types of audit results with key store personnel and provide support to correct deficient conditions.

Monitor and assist Store Management with compliance with local, state, and federal food safety requirements and compliance with all internal food safety policies.

Observe deficiencies and conduct training on personal hygiene, hand washing, temperature control of time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods, cross contamination, allergen cross contact, pest control, and chemical use.

Assist Retail Food Safety Manager with monitoring all third party chemical and pest control partners for compliance and execution to our standards.

Possess thorough knowledge of approved chemical and pest control programs and therefore be able to train and demonstrate proper cleaning, sanitizing and pest control prevention techniques.

Assist Retail Food Safety Manager with written response to regulatory inspection deficiencies using knowledge of health regulations and operational capabilities.

Develop and maintain active relationships with local, state, and federal health officials.

Actively participate in regulatory meetings in all assigned jurisdictions.

Understand store operations to be able to inform regulators about company processes designed to promote food safety.

Stay current on regulatory requirements for food safety and store sanitation to provide necessary direction to store teams.

Assist assigned stores with guest complaints, public health disasters, and emergency procedures.

Assist Retail Food Safety Manager as requested with investigations of food-related illness claims to determine and implement necessary corrective actions.

Review recall and withdrawal notifications and ensure assigned stores have responded to recalls and withdrawals.

Participate in any staff meetings, or other meetings as applicable.

Maintain channels of communication with all cross functional areas to ensure the company maintains a proactive stance in all areas of food safety.

Assist Food Safety Specialists with issues in any other geographical area as requested by Retail Food Safety Manager.

Perform other duties as assigned by upper management.

Key Requirements:

Experience in grocery retail food safety is preferred.

Bachelor’s degree in biology, microbiology, food science, or other related fields preferred.

Will consider applicants with a minimum of 3 years food safety relevant experience, who have not completed their degree.

Knowledge of federal and state food safety regulations required.

Must be willing to work toward obtaining CP-FS credential.

Ability to read and interpret federal, state, and local food safety rules, city ordinances, and public health orders.

Must be able to drive a vehicle and maintain a valid driver’s license in order to make store visits on a regular basis with frequent overnight travel.

Ability to plan, schedule, and work under minimal supervision and have self-initiative to perform job functions. Position will not have direct supervision in the same geographical location and video conferencing is required.

Must gain and maintain respect from team members as well as store directors, executives, and other team members throughout the company.

Must have the ability to work with team members in a diplomatic manner and provide guidance to seek solutions in order to maintain compliance with regulations.

Must possess the ability to speak effectively before groups and provide information through on the job training.

Must be able to interact effectively with a wide variety of people.

Must possess ability to communicate concepts, systems, procedures, etc., in various different training environments.

Must be able to complete assigned tasks to meet deadlines without direct supervision.

Must be flexible to various working conditions and possess the ability to adapt quickly.

Must be very detail oriented and possess excellent analytical skills to solve problems.

Must have strong analytical skills required for data interpretation and analysis.

Must be well organized with the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines.

Must have a positive attitude and the ability to accept supervisory coaching related to performance, work habits, and attitude.

Must have the ability to function as a team member and get along with others.