Quality Specialist - Hygienist

Role Summary

The factory hygienist maintains prerequisite programs to ensure food safety and compliance as the base for maintaining consumer trust and preference. The position oversees tasks relating to a number of prerequisite programs including Sanitation, Zoning, cGMPs, Allergen Management, Foreign Body Prevention, Environmental Monitoring, Pest Control, and Product protection plans. Note: this is a 2-2-3 night shift rotation working 6pm–6am.

Responsibilities

• Quality Systems: Manage, enforce, and analyze trends and verification activities related to pre-requisite programs. Ensure risk assessments, and Food Safety Management Systems are up to date. Acts as a key team member for implementation and maintenance of the facility’s environmental monitoring programs. Performs root cause investigation and helps to implement corrective and preventive actions. Assist in analyzing environmental monitoring data to seek and destroy pathogens. Helps to complete food safety risk assessments of the facility environment and processing equipment. Works closely with Pest Control provider to identify and drive closure of identified gaps at the facility.
• People and Know-How: Develop and execute training for pre-requisite programs. Ensure compliance with factory procedures and practices by having a strong coaching presence on the production floor. Communicate and work alongside Project Managers and Contractors to uphold facility hygiene. Drive improvement projects using feedback from cross-functional teams to improve pre-requisite programs. Provides oversight and guidance for factory sanitation. Leads continuous improvement of pre-requisite programs.
• Quality Auditing and Verification: Conducts GMP, foreign body, and pest control inspections of the facility. Maintains records of audits and ensures completion of corrective and preventive actions of all gaps. Acts as a team member for annual HACCP reviews and floor walks. Meticulously maintains records for all hygiene systems in accordance with ISO and regulatory requirements.
• Quality Mastership: Support Continuous Improvement initiatives in the quest for zero defect. Support activities to achieve compliance with the Quality Management System requirements and other applicable instructions and standards. Identify non-conformance issues and coordinate Quality/Food Safety risk analysis.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, or related field or equivalent work experience in food manufacturing quality role.
• Preferred: Experience in pre-requisite programs, hygiene, and sanitation.
• Preferred: Working knowledge of pathogens and environmental monitoring.
• Preferred: Experience working in a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Preferred: Working knowledge of cGMPs and FDA requirements.

Skills

• Training development and coaching presence on the production floor.
• Developing and executing training for pre-requisite programs; driving continuous improvement of pre-requisite programs.
• Collaborating with Project Managers and Contractors to uphold facility hygiene.
• Root cause investigation and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Auditing and verification of GMP, foreign body, and pest control inspections; maintaining records in accordance with ISO and regulatory requirements.
• Analytical approach to environmental monitoring data and pathogen control.