Job Title: Quality Assurance Technician

Job Description

A Quality Assurance Technician is responsible for supporting the Quality Assurance Department through various laboratory functions, including conducting quality audits, swabbing, coli form plating, calibrating, and antibiotic testing. The role is pivotal in enforcing USDA, SQF, QA, GMP, HACCP, and safety policies and procedures. The technician ensures food safety and quality while fulfilling production needs.

Responsibilities

• Perform weekly tasks such as environmental swabbing, airplates, and thermometer calibration.
• Conduct noon and midnight inventory of fluid silos.
• Monitor waste water, pH, EC, and COD levels.
• Conduct micro plating, WPN, antibiotic confirmation testing, and TA testing.
• Send daily samples to DA and Sierra for testing.
• Pull and re-test customer samples.
• Maintain cleanliness in lab areas and ensure accurate and timely documentation and filing.
• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
• Maintain and care for company tools and laboratory equipment.
• Update quality and procedure manuals, calibrations, and reports on waste water, swabbing, and air quality monitoring.
• Follow all safety and working rules, ensuring a harmonious work environment.
• Demonstrate excellent attendance to support company objectives.
• Use initiative and judgment in decision-making, complying with company policies.

Essential Skills

• Proficiency in working safely and efficiently, adhering to all safety procedures.
• Capability to seek assistance when processes are unclear.
• Bachelor's Degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Microbiology, or an Associate's Degree in similar fields, or 5 years of experience in a laboratory setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Basic computational and simple math reasoning skills.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Ability to acquire and maintain a the person/Oven Solids Tester license.
• Certified Industry Supervisor certification on Drug residue testing.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to execute written, oral, or diagram instructions.
• Capacity to identify when issues require input from higher authority.

Work Environment

The work environment involves exposure to temperatures ranging from 34 to over 100 degrees. Employees may encounter ammonia, acids, caustics, chlorines, paints, particles, oils, lubricants, steam, pneumatics, fumes, and hazardous gases. Personal protective equipment such as hearing protection, bump caps, hair and beard nets, gloves, and eye protection is required. Employees must employ proper lifting techniques. The position requires flexibility to work all shifts, with a standard shift from 8 pm to 4:30 am.