SQF Practitioner/QA Manager

JOB: SQF Practitioner/QA Manager

DEPARTMENT: Quality Assurance

REPORTS TO: Corporate Food Safety & Quality Manager / Plant Manager

LOCATION: UDF Fresh Innovation Bakery

DESCRIPTION:

This position is responsible for the SQF system, Food Safety Plan, all internal and external audits, all investigations, and root cause analysis. Must be knowledgeable with SQF (GFSI) systems, Preventive Controls, HACCP and GMP’s with a strong working knowledge of FDA and STATE regulations. A key requirement for this position is to lead the verification and validation process for the entire Food Safety and SQF systems by optimizing methods and techniques for efficiency and compliance. This work will ensure all activities are handled in accordance with UDF’s Co-Pack, business requirements, ethics, and goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Primary SQF Practitioner for the bakery facility, responsible for day-to-day verification and validation to maintain SQF, HACCP, Preventive Controls and overall compliance with FDA and STATE regulatory and other certifications.
• Leads monthly SQF/Food Safety/HACCP team meetings.
• Leads monthly internal audits of the facility to assure compliance with applicable procedures.
• Manages all external audits within the facility.
• Oversees plant sanitation requirements and manages third party cleaning company.
• Prepares the initiation and tracking of new products and materials through PCN’s (Product Change Notices) & NPI’s (New Product Introductions).
• Initiate and ensure facility compliance with procedures and paperwork associated with Food Safety & Quality Management Systems. Implement new testing procedures / protocol as needed. Owns the completion of the Master Quality Schedule (MQS).
• Oversees HACCP Program; verifies the critical control points and assists in the resolution of issues.
• Develops and carries out studies/validations as needed by the site.
• Communicates quickly and effectively with all levels of management
• Works with Operations and Updates internal plant policies such as SOP’s and HACCP plans as needed
• Coordinates information for third party audits and maintains all Quality Manuals with procedures and policies and updates as needed to ensure that all information is correct
• Identifies opportunities for quality improvement, and actively participates in quality improvement efforts both at the departmental and organizational levels.
• Manages document control by maintaining the register of all documentation, ensuring proper revision control and providing to MYScoop E-Learning for training.
• Supports operations in training QA food safety requirements to all production teams.
• Assists and participates in plant employee meetings
• Supports bakery R&D and develops finished product specifications
• Review and signoff on facility Food Safety Incidents.
• Conduct finished product organoleptic sampling and maintain finished product specifications.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

• Responsible for consistently maintaining safe quality food products by following good manufacturing practices, allergen controls, food defense, HACCP, SQF, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensuring visitors, contractors and customers are documented on each visit in and out of the facility to maintain good manufacturing practices, allergen controls, food defense/food security and HACCP controls.
• Responsible for immediately reporting all food safety and quality issues to management.
• Responsible for partnering with others, sharing knowledge, skills and information within assigned team and across functional areas.
• Ensuring all safety work practices are adhered to.
• Exhibit an understanding of quality standards and the ability to speak to UDF’s quality systems.
• Works with outside vendors and co-packers when necessary, as QA liaison.
• Conducts and assists with special projects in the organization where department representation is necessary.
• Performs analysis of data to identify problems, areas of opportunity, and constraints.
• Represent the department in meetings and interacts with various other departments in order to complete projects in a timely manner.

MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE:

• Drives continuous improvement efforts through manufacturing processes to address areas of deficient trends.
• Must be able to juggle several tasks at once and successfully complete within a reasonable period of time.
• Must be a self-starter; able to prioritize work assignments and keep busy at all times.
• Viewed by co-workers as having subject matter expertise as it relates to their job.
• Successful SQF, Regulatory and Customer audits.
• Meeting personal, department and organizational goals and objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Exceptional writing, planning, and organizational skills
• Ability to appropriately summarize data for inclusion in reports
• Strong communication, presentation and computer and data base knowledge skills are required
• Must be capable of functioning independently with minimal supervision as well as perform and follow up with multiple projects.
• Strong working experience with GMP, FDA, GFSI and SQF standards for food safety and quality
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office required, ability to learn and utilize SAGE MRP System.

EDUCATION /EXPERIENCE:

• BS in Science or Technology, preferably in a food related field
• Five years’ experience in the food industry
• SQF Practitioner certified or PCQI certified considered.
• FDA FSMA/HACCP certified
• In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education and experience may be considered.

WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Production/plant environment
• Office environment
• Sitting and or standing for extended periods
• Repetitive motion (typing)

The above description covers the principal duties and responsibilities of the job. The description shall not, however, be construed as a complete listing of all miscellaneous, incidental or similar duties which may be required from day-to-day. The candidate selected for employment will be required to submit to a criminal background check and drug test.