Food Quality & Packaging Specialist

Associated Grocers of New England•Pembroke, NH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This dual-function role ensures that AGNE delivers high-quality, safe produce to its customers by combining frontline packaging responsibilities with inspection and compliance oversight. The Food Quality & Packaging Specialist must be nimble, adaptable, and able to pivot between roles depending on business needs and staffing. Success in this position requires strong produce knowledge, attention to detail, and the ability to retain and apply a broad range of quality control and food safety standards.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Knowledge of perishable products (including floral, preferred).
1–3 years of wholesale or retail produce experience.
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to work effectively across departments.
Comfortable using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Ability to work independently while being a reliable team player.
Collaboration/strong teamwork.

Nice To Haves

USDA certification or USDA produce quality training.
Experience with organic compliance, handling, or food safety audits.

Responsibilities

Inspect inbound produce and perishable products to ensure compliance with AGNE’s quality, temperature, freshness, USDA/FDA, and organic standards.
Approve or reject loads based on inspection outcomes.
Monitor warehouse conditions, rotation, and labeling for adherence to food safety protocols.
Document inspections, audits, and quality checks, maintaining accurate records for compliance and organic certification.
Partner with Purchasing, Buyers, and Warehouse teams on vendor performance and product trends.
Support recall processes and mock recall exercises.
Package fresh produce into smaller retail-ready packs in line with customer orders and AGNE quality standards.
Communicate daily with Packaging Supervisor to coordinate materials and production flow.
Report product quality concerns to both Packaging Supervisor and Quality Control.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date food safety logs, escalating corrective actions when needed.
Keep work area sanitary and safe, following company and regulatory guidelines.
Ensure compliance with all food safety and workplace safety policies.
Support cross-departmental collaboration to continuously improve product quality and efficiency.
Perform other related duties as assigned.