FSQA Specialist III

Oregon Freeze Dry • Albany, OR

82d

About The Position

Join our team as a FSQA Specialist III and play a vital role in protecting what matters most, the safety and quality of the food we make. In this role, you'll take the lead in ensuring full compliance with regulatory, customer, and company standards while driving continuous improvement in every process. You'll champion our food safety and quality programs, collaborate across departments, and represent Oregon Freeze Dry's unwavering commitment to excellence with clients, auditors, and partners. This is a meaningful opportunity to make a real impact in a company where quality is at the heart of everything we do.

Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in food safety and quality assurance.
• Bachelor's Degree in food science or related field.
• HAACP and PCQI certification required.
• Strong knowledge of FDA and USDA regulatory compliance, food processing procedures, and GMPs highly desired.
• Experience working with government contracts preferred.
• Proven ability to conduct root cause analyses and risk assessments.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications and comfortable using computer systems for documentation and reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in applying knowledge to variable situations.
• Adaptable to changing goals and priorities to meet business and departmental needs.
• Committed to continuous improvement of processes and procedures.
• Skilled at facilitating cross-functional meetings and driving collaborative solutions.
• Experience in laboratory, academic, or industry settings preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead food safety and quality programs, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, client expectations, and company standards.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, auditors, and external stakeholders on food safety and quality matters.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to implement new or updated food safety and quality programs effectively.
• Develop and execute monitoring plans, interpret test results, and lead investigations into deviations, including customer complaints.
• Support and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), ensuring accountability and alignment across teams.
• Lead customer, 3rd party, and regulatory audits evaluating overall QMS.
• Create and deliver training materials to ensure compliance across relevant departments.
• Maintain and update documentation to support food safety and quality programs in your area of focus.
• Support product release activities for your area of focus.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior FSQA staff, providing backup support and fostering team development.
• Lead QA involvement in pre-solicitation reviews and specification evaluations to identify and mitigate potential food safety and quality compliance gaps.
• Review existing government contracts and product specifications, recommending revisions or clarifications to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, compliant products.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and Supply Chain in the cross-functional contract review process, providing QA insight on feasibility, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Communicate new contract specifications across QA and relevant departments to ensure alignment with operational and compliance requirements.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in customer-facing engagements, influencing contract language and specifications to enhance product defensibility, manufacturability, and adherence to evolving food safety and quality standards.
• Support the development and preparation of Engineering Support Activity (ESA) requests by providing QA insights to clarify or update product specifications.
• Develop and maintain standardized processes documenting QA requirements, product specifications, testing plans, and contract-critical information to guide teams from product development through contract execution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Food Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree