Food Safety and Quality Assurance Specialist

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

About The Position

Penn State Housing and Food Services is seeking a Food Safety and Quality Assurance Specialist to lead and maintain food safety, allergen management, food defense, and quality assurance programs supporting Penn State Bakery and Warehouse operations. The specialist will help ensure products are safe, consistently produced, compliant with regulatory requirements, and meet customer expectations. The role collaborates with bakery production, warehouse operations, purchasing, and leadership to develop, implement, and improve food safety and quality systems. The position oversees food safety and regulatory compliance programs, including HACCP plans, Preventive Controls, GMPs, sanitation, allergen controls, food defense, and required documentation. It also maintains product specifications and labeling compliance; investigates quality concerns and corrective actions; and evaluates changes to formulations, ingredients, suppliers, and packaging. Additional duties include overseeing allergen management, sanitation and environmental monitoring, temperature controls, pest control, internal audits, traceability, mock recalls, supplier quality processes, and employee training. The specialist serves as a subject matter resource and may provide operational and supervisory support for Bakery and Warehouse operations as needed. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience, along with at least three years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination. The posting also lists ServSafe Certification as a required qualification, though the certifications section separately states that none are required. The salary range is $65,508 to $94,980. Penn State offers full-time employees medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans, paid holidays, vacation and sick time, and a 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible spouses and children.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Animal Science, Microbiology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and four years of relevant experience.
At least three years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
ServSafe Certification is listed in the required qualifications; the separate required-certifications section states “None.”
Experience developing, implementing, and maintaining food safety and quality management systems.
Experience conducting audits and managing corrective and preventive action programs.
Knowledge of FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food requirements.
Knowledge of food allergen regulations and labeling requirements.
Experience with food labeling, ingredient declarations, and nutritional compliance.
Strong analytical, documentation, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to train, coach, and influence employees at all levels.
Ability to collaborate across production, warehouse, culinary, purchasing, and leadership teams.

Nice To Haves

ServSafe Instructor Certification.
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) Certification.
Experience in bakery, food manufacturing, food production, or warehouse operations.
Experience with environmental monitoring, microbiological testing, and food defense programs.
Experience managing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and supplier quality programs.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and maintain HACCP plans, Preventive Controls programs, food safety documentation, and regulatory compliance practices.
Establish and monitor GMPs, sanitation standards, allergen controls, and food safety procedures; conduct inspections and maintain records.
Support regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and compliance reviews, and communicate the operational impact of regulatory changes.
Develop and maintain food defense and food security programs, including vulnerability assessments, access controls, visitor management, mitigation strategies, and training.
Establish finished-product specifications and quality standards; investigate quality concerns, conduct root cause analyses, and oversee corrective actions.
Create, review, and maintain compliant product labels, verifying ingredient statements, allergen declarations, nutritional information, and other required elements.
Evaluate formulation, ingredient, supplier, and packaging changes for food safety, regulatory, and quality impacts; support product launches and process improvements.
Develop and oversee allergen control programs, prevent cross-contact, verify cleaning and changeover procedures, and deliver allergen awareness training.
Maintain ingredient specifications and allergen information in menu management systems, and collaborate on allergen-conscious scheduling.
Develop and monitor sanitation procedures, schedules, and verification programs; oversee environmental monitoring and testing.
Verify cleaning and sanitizing effectiveness and monitor temperature controls, cold chain management, and storage requirements; investigate deviations and coordinate corrective actions.
Manage pest control programs and verify preventive measures are completed.
Develop audit schedules, inspection tools, and compliance tracking systems; conduct internal food safety and quality audits and maintain audit-ready documentation.
Develop and test traceability and recall programs, conduct mock recalls, and support product holds, recalls, investigations, and disposition decisions.
Support supplier evaluation and approval; review COAs, supplier documentation, specifications, and food safety records; address ingredient, packaging, and supplier quality concerns.
Develop and deliver food safety, quality, sanitation, allergen, and GMP training; maintain training records and coach employees and supervisors.
Serve as a subject matter expert and liaison among quality assurance, production, warehouse operations, and leadership; provide operational and supervisory support as needed.