Food Safety Inspector

Orange County Fair and Events Center•Costa Mesa, CA

1d•$27•Onsite

About The Position

Serves as a key member of the District’s concessions/operations team to plan, draft, develop, implement, advocate and monitor the OC Fair & Event Center (OCFEC) food service safety and sanitation program. Commit to a strong sense of personal and team responsibility in conscientiously protecting the well-being of OCFEC’s organization and its 1.4M guests. This is a seasonal job, not to exceed 122 days.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age.
In-depth knowledge of sanitation and food preparation/handling practices, especially those required to avoid foodborne illnesses and transmittable diseases.
2-5 years of relevant work experience with emphasis in food service management, quality assurance and health inspections.
Strong familiarity with laws, policies, procedures, specifications, standards and guidelines governing the inspection of food facilities and products.
Ability to identify adulteration in food products.
Knowledge of the interaction between food and equipment used to prepare/handle food products.
Technical aptitude for purpose of reading/completing industry documents and using quality-testing tools.
Self-motivated with ability to work well under pressure/time constraints.
Outstanding planning and organization skills.
Detail oriented with ability to think analytically while developing/administering the food safety process.
Highly effective verbal, written and listening skills.
Strong problem solving and decision making skills.
Sound judgment with consistently proactive, reliable and results-driven approach.
Ability to multi-task and follow up effectively; sense of urgency.
Ability to work well with others within Fair team, even when pointing out deficiencies in their processes.
Proficient in MS Word, Outlook and Excel.
Ability to detect odors.
Ability to work outside the normal business day/week as demanded by OC Fair operating hours.
Must be able to work all 23 days of the annual OC Fair.

Nice To Haves

Current ServSafe certification.
Knowledge of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) compliance standards that focus on regulations where violations could directly cause foodborne illness.
Prior first-hand experience in development, implementation and oversight of a food safety/quality assurance program.
Skilled in continuous improvement process with keen ability to identify advancement opportunities.
Prior experience supervising and guiding other health inspectors/quality assurance personnel.
Food safety/quality assurance program training experience.
USDA knowledge

Responsibilities

Routinely inspects/monitors food storage and preparation as well as front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) service activities of all OC Fair concessionaire partners to ensure their adherence to food safety and sanitation regulations/codes as mandated by the County of Orange Health Department.
Verify food safety by evaluating different aspects of food service environment variables inclusive of, but not limited to, presence of qualified person-in-charge, food handler training certification(s), worker hygiene, food handling and storage, product identity and content, expiration dates, cooking, holding and refrigeration temperatures, facility/equipment maintenance and cleanliness, disposal methods and insect/rodent presence.
Identify violation types and escalate direct communication of significant infractions not only to the concession owner but also to OC Fair Concessions Department management in an expeditious manner.
Significant violations to include foodborne illness risk factors, imminent health hazards that could lead to site closure and observation of multiple critical violations during a single site inspection.
Conduct visual examinations and various quality control tests.
Collect and record data relative to inspection findings.
Document evidence of infractions by taking photographs and samples.
After completing examinations, write reports based on collected data and assign a “restaurant” score on standard health inspection report format.
Maintain reports/records in a highly organized manner.
Issue internal (OCFEC) citations to concessionaire owner/manager if serious infractions of food safety code are observed.
Provide timely copies of same to OC Fair Concessions Department management.
Work with concessionaires to find solutions and correct problems.
Provide as needed follow up consultation to concessionaire partners based upon results of inspections conducted.
Work with OC Fair Concessions Department management to provide recommendations and/or corrective actions to facilitate enforcement procedures in cases of non-compliance.
Schedule inspections accordingly, recognizing that routine inspections are conducted more frequently at higher risk facilities (i.e. – sites with extensive handling, thawing, cooking, cooling, reheating of raw ingredients/potentially hazardous foods) than at lower risk facilities (i.e. – mobile ice cream stand, sites with pre-packaged non-potentially hazardous foods).
Health or food safety related complaints should always generate an inspection regardless of assigned risk category.
Fully understand that assessing someone’s business is a big responsibility and cannot allow self’s own opinions or dislikes to cloud personal judgment.
Meet regularly with fellow inspectors and OC Fair Concessions Department management to compare reports and discuss concerns.
Pre-operational facility visits to ensure that site is “up to code” with respect to sinks, refrigeration, heating elements and other items in use at the facility.
Ensure that the site or facility has all necessary licenses and permits to operate.
Take responsibility to provide positive recognition to exemplary food safety and sanitation performers.
Wear appropriate food safety protection items.
Will be required to perform other duties as directed, requested or assigned.