Food Safety Specialist (Facility)

Ocean Mist Farms•Castroville, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Food Safety Specialist supports the implementation, administration, verification, training, recordkeeping, and continuous improvement of the Company’s food safety program. Responsibilities extend across all operating regions, including the Salinas Valley, Castroville, Huron, Oxnard, Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, and Yuma, Arizona. The specialist assists the Food Safety Manager and team in maintaining compliance with company policies, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory standards. Responsibilities include food safety documentation, traceability activities, environmental monitoring, audit preparation, employee training, and mock recalls. This year-round position is based specifically at our Castroville facility. Occasional travel to remote growing regions may be required to provide backup support as business needs arise.

Requirements

Experience in food science or biological/physical sciences is required.
Minimum 2-3 years of experience in food safety or regulatory compliance in the produce industry.
High school diploma desired.
PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification.
PSR (Produce Safety Training) certification.
Bilingual English & Spanish required.
Valid California Driver’s License, Class C, be insurable and ability to operate a company vehicle is required.
Ability to travel and work in the cooler, field or office environments as needed.
Knowledge of GMP’s, GAP, HACCP, LGMA and USDA/FDA guidelines as they relate to our operations.
Familiarity with product traceback/recall policies and procedures.
Good math, written and verbal communication skills are required.
Working knowledge of computers & software as utilized in the Food Safety environment: Windows operating system, Word, Excel.
Candidates must be well organized and comfortable working independently.

Responsibilities

Support the goals and objectives of Ocean Mist Farms’ food safety program.
Implement policies and programs that provide guidance and education on food safety and food defense.
Conduct prepared food safety training sessions, monthly, annual orientations and as needed.
Conduct daily and monthly GMP and GAP inspections to verify compliance with company food safety programs, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
Enforce policies related to food safety and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) through auditing.
Prepare and maintain annual documents.
Establish comprehensive corrective actions.
Share detailed and accurate findings report with necessary departments and personnel.
Conduct follow up inspections for corrective actions adherence.
Identify food safety risks, compliance concerns, process improvement opportunities, and recommend corrective actions.
Work with suppliers to obtain and evaluate the necessary annual documentation such as LOAs, COI, 3rd party audits for supplier approval.
Follow up on incomplete, inaccurate or records with critical findings to solve and prevent future recurrences.
Identify trends.
Assist in troubleshooting food safety problems and implementing improvements.
Complete incident report as necessary.
Accurately document the chain of custody sampling forms.
Address customer/ consumer inquiries and work with appropriate staff to resolve.
Communicate results to the appropriate team member or grower in a timely manner.
Conduct thorough root cause investigations and retests.
Help evaluate new testing equipment.
Assist with other departments under food safety; farming, harvest, processing.
Attend monthly applicable trainings/meetings.
Assist with other duties as assigned.
Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) as minimum standards for facilities.
Conduct risk assessments for facilities as needed based on perceived risks.
Verify the proper function, calibration, and accuracy of food safety monitoring equipment such as thermometers, PH meters, and ATP luminometer.
Assist with annual CIP procedures.
Coordinate and oversee GMP and 3rd party audits.
Participate in audits by; preparing facility and personnel for food safety audits, 3rd party, customer, organic and regulatory inspections.
Support product traceability activities, including record reviews, data collection, and verification of documentation required for trace-back investigations.
Participate in mock recall exercises and assist with corrective actions, documentation, and follow-up activities.
Performs the PCQI record review and sign-off process of applicable food safety records.
Utilize KipTraq or other food safety systems to maintain records, track compliance activities, manage traceability data, and support reporting requirements.
Investigate company incident reports.
Coordinate and collect environmental swabs for facilities and others as needed.
Assist with other testing processes such as ATP, Pre-Season, New Equipment.
Adhere to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Leafy Greens standards (LGMA) as minimum standards for agricultural fields.
Conduct risk assessments for farms and growing areas.
Ensure daily execution of food safety practices by crews, supervisors, contractors, and other stakeholders, identifying and addressing GAPs in understanding to promote consistent compliance.
Coordinate and oversee GAP and 3rd party audits.
Prepare growers and personnel for food safety audits, 3rd party, customer, organic, regulatory LGMA or PSR inspections.
Performs the PSR record review and sign-off on applicable food safety records.
Utilize KipTraq or other food safety systems to maintain records, track compliance activities, manage traceability data, and support reporting requirements.
Investigate farm incident reports.
Coordinate and collect samples for water, tissue and others as needed.
Adhere to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Leafy Greens standards (LGMA) as minimum standards for agricultural throughout harvest operations.
Conduct risk assessments for harvest equipment.
Ensure daily execution of food safety practices by harvest crews, supervisors, contractors, and other stakeholders, identifying and addressing GAPs in understanding to promote consistent compliance.
Assist in addressing and resolving customer and consumer complaints effectively and professionally.
Assist with the development, implementation, and verification of Harvest Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs).
Support sanitation activities and verify compliance with established sanitation procedures.
Coordinate and oversee GAP and 3rd party audits; Prepare harvest crews and personnel for food safety audits, 3rd party, customer, organic, regulatory LGMA or PSR inspections.
Performs the PSR record review and sign-off on applicable food safety records.
Coordinate the collection, organization, review, and submission of food safety documentation required for audits, regulatory compliance, and customer requests.
Retrieve and review harvest documentation packets for completeness and accuracy.
Investigate farm incident reports.
Coordinate and collect samples for water, tissue and others as needed.
Conduct ATP testing and microbiological sampling collection in accordance with company procedures and regulatory requirements.
Prepare reports, maintain databases, and analyze food safety data using Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, and reporting tools.
Monitor and maintain inventories of food safety and harvest-related supplies, ensuring materials are available and distributed to harvest crews as needed.
Work with various types of harvest equipment while promoting safe and sanitary operating practices.