Food Safety and Quality Assurance Technician

Farm Boy Inc. • Mississauga, ON

10d • Onsite

About The Position

This role involves working closely with the Production team, spending the majority of time on the production floor, ensuring food products meet safety, regulatory, and quality standards. The technician will initiate corrective actions where appropriate and escalate food safety and quality concerns as required. Key activities include supporting daily food safety and quality decision-making, promoting a food safety culture, conducting inspections, monitoring GMP compliance, and preparing traceability exercises. The role also involves performing daily monitoring and verification activities, recommending corrective actions for deviations, collecting and reviewing documentation, conducting coaching and training, assisting with the development and improvement of Food Safety and Quality Management Systems, delivering employee training, preparing sensory samples, performing data entry and analysis, conducting shelf-life validation studies and environmental monitoring, performing product and SOP audits, ensuring adherence to QA policies, maintaining laboratory equipment, and supporting audits.

Requirements

• Post-secondary education in Quality Assurance, Food Science, or a related field, with 1 - 3 years of experience supporting food safety in a food manufacturing environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, GFSI standards, food legislation, and Quality Assurance programs, including: process controls, training, and supplier management.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Solid understanding of laboratory management practices and experience performing laboratory testing.
• Demonstrated ability to support program improvements, including: SOP development, employee training, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks based on risk assessments, manage competing deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Proven interpersonal skills with a strong customer-service mindset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Windows environments.
• Comfortable working in a plant environment that involves multiple deadlines, extended periods of standing, heavy lifting, repetitive tasks, frequent use of protective equipment, and work that may be performed in colder environments.
• Works confidently across varied environments, including: raw meat plant, RTE plant, bakery, repack room and warehouse.
• Fluency in English

Nice To Haves

• French language skills considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Support daily food safety and quality decision making activities in accordance with established processes to ensure products meet regulatory, Farm Boy and customer requirements.
• Promote food safety culture within the facility, conducting pre-operational inspections, monitor GMP compliance, and prepare traceability exercises.
• Perform daily monitoring and verification activities as outlined in food safety programs and recommend corrective actions for identified deviations.
• Collect, review, and complete required documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Conduct coaching, training and Quality Assurance (QA) facility checks, such as: temperature checks, sanitation checks, CCP monitoring, documentation, and label compliance audits.
• Assist with the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.
• Deliver employee training on food safety and quality programs and written procedures.
• Prepare sensory samples and participate in sensory evaluations as required.
• Perform data entry, analysis, and reporting to support quality and food safety initiatives.
• Conduct shelf-life validation studies and microbiological environmental monitoring as required.
• Conduct product and SOP audits and maintain associated reports and documentation.
• Ensure adherence to QA policies and procedures and report required updates or deviations.
• Maintain proper cleaning and preventative maintenance of laboratory equipment.
• Support government and third-party audits, including preparation activities and follow-up actions to resolve non-conformances.
• Contribute to overall operational success by taking on additional responsibilities as required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit program and coverage that varies by position.
• Coverage may include healthcare, dental care, disability coverage, life insurance and registered retirement savings program.
• A 10% discount on in-store purchases.
• On-the-job training and the prioritization of internal promotions to help you grow and embrace new opportunities.
• The opportunity to support local neighbourhoods through our community programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree