Quality Assurance Technician (Food Industry)

Olympia Food Industries is looking to hire a Quality Assurance Technician for the Quality Assurance department. This is an entry level position with an 8-hour shift running regularly from Monday to Friday, with an hour break. This position’s starting pay is 18^.00 an hour. It should be known that it is mandatory for this position to be able to periodically, though readily & reliably, participate in the Pre-Operational inspection that begins at 4:00 am. It should also be noted that this task is rotated through all Quality Assurance Technicians and that extended hours towards overtime pay is approved for these duties when rolled into a full morning shift. Raises may be given annually after a positive performance review. Bilingual comprehension between English & Spanish is desired, though not required. 

Summary

The Primary Focus of this position is to ensure compliance with all company, customer, & regulatory quality requirements by monitoring, coordinating, & documenting Quality Assurance activities in production, warehousing, raw materials, & products. The secondary focus is to assist in maintaining & updating product Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) details & tasks as needed. The Quality Assurance Technician is expected to work together with others to maintain a clean & safe working environment throughout the facility. The Quality Assurance Technician reports to the Quality Assurance Supervisor

Skills & Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Able to work overtime and irregular hours when necessary.
• Able to work in a cold environment.
• Able to stand for long periods of time.
• Able to follow directions.
• Able to see clearly with adequate depth perception, both near & far, with or without the assistance of glasses.
• Able to read, understand, and follow detailed instructions & SOPs
• Able to reach with hands and arms.
• Requires the use hands and fingers to use and feel objects, tools, controls, and product.
• Able to climb 10ft to 14ft ladders & work on top of platforms
• Able to lift 50 pounds unassisted.
• Able to comfortably balance, bend, carry, crawl, crouch, kneel, pull, push, stoop, stretch, turn, twist during the entirety of an 8-to-10-hour shift.
• Requires knowledge & understanding of Arithmetic & Numbers.
• Able to perform basic laboratory tests skills.
• Requires fine finger dexterity for typing & testing.
• Requires computer knowledge & experience.
• Requires knowledge & experience with Microsoft software such as Excel, Outlook, & Word.
• Strongly Requires clear oral & legible written communication skills in English.
• Strongly Requires appropriate interpersonal interactions to work effectively & efficiently with co-workers to meet mutual goals.
• Strongly Requires to be able to maintain a positive work environment.
• Adaptive to disruptive circumstances related to either production or personnel.

Tasks & Duties

• Preform daily pre-ops checks of production room, equipment, tools, utensils, & packaging area & delegate any follow up cleaning.
• Verify the effectiveness of cleaning through Pre-Operational visual inspections, ATP swabbing, & operational inspections.
• Test thermometers & sanitizer solution. Adjust to properly calibrate daily.
• Collect product samples for testing.
• Conduct in house sampling & testing.
• Preform R.I. tests.
• Preform P.H. tests.
• Preform Fat tests.
• Preform metal detector checks.
• Preform Daily Check of Temperatures & Visual Inspections in Production, Docks, & Warehouse Dry, Cooler, & Freezer storage areas.
• Periodically train production personnel in proper Quality Control Procedures.
• Maintain equipment required for Quality Control testing.
• Fill out hold tags with the appropriate & accurate information.
• Abide by Olympia Food’s GMPs, rules, & regulations.
• Abide by Quality Assurance’s Color Code System.
• Enforce HACCP & SQF guidelines.
• Assist in Export Verification & Processing.
• Complete all necessary HACCP forms & all defined actions within. Address any comments & concerns with Quality Assurance Supervisor Within 24 Hours.
• Communicate with Maintenance, & Sanitation departments whenever necessary.
• Understand & scrutinize product quality.
• Report any unsafe or malicious behavior.
• Report any unsafe or hazardous work conditions.
• Preform any changeover checks of production room, equipment, tools, utensils, & packaging area & delegate any follow up cleaning.
• Monitor packaging to ensure that required specifications are followed & record the results on approved forms.
• Maintain weight controls for ingredients & finished products. provide feedback for adjustments to maintain appropriate targets.
• Maintain a high level of awareness regarding product & personnel safety & satiation.
• Inspect raw materials for proper specifications, codes, lot numbers, & dates including information necessary for lot tracking on batch sheets & other approved forms.
• Inform supervisors & managers of any damaged components, connections, equipment, & tools. This is greatly appreciated.
• Ensure that product is being processed at the correct temperature.
• Ensure reliable record keeping regarding ingredients, materials, use, and temperatures.
• Ensure plant quality control procedures are being followed to prevent the production of unacceptable product.
• Ensure food safety & sanitation conditions, guidelines & practices are always being met by all crew members.
• Document all metal detector activity.
• Complete and submit all proper paperwork punctually & timely by the end of the shift.
• Clean & sanitize any item, tool, or utensil used in the production room that is found unsanitary.
• Preform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

• Temperature of the production rooms are 40°. Dress appropriately.
• There are variable temperatures throughout the facility ranging from -10°F to room tempurature. 
• This job is physical. Crew members need to frequently bend, lift, push, pull, walk, grasp, & reach for items.
• Rolls involve extensive standing and stationary work, climbing stairs & ladders, lifting, & squatting. 
• Crew members work near moving mechanical parts.
• This job is performed in a generally clean environment.
• Because we are a food processing facility, with the exceptions of glasses, firmly secure wedding bands, & double clasp medical bracelets, all jewelry and mobile phones are strictly prohibited in every work area. Per industry regulations, Olympia cannot hire anyone with exposed graphed jewelry or exposed permanent piercings.
• This position requires safety awareness of manufacturing & industrial sites. Protective gear will be required where appropriate.