FSQA Tech / 1st shift

Ajinomoto Foods North America•San Diego, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The FSQA Technician is responsible for ensuring plant sanitary conditions and that raw and in-process materials and finished products meet established food safety and quality standards. This role includes responsibility for HACCP verification activities and making decisions to accept or reject areas, equipment, products, or materials that are deemed insanitary, possibly contaminated, or out of Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. (AFNA) specifications. The FSQA Technician must take appropriate action and inform relevant personnel when any deficiency in requirements occurs.

Requirements

High School Diploma or its equivalent is desirable. Meaningful education and experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
Sufficiently broad experience in food manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Assurance and/or food plant production operations, processes, and policies is strongly desired. Limited food manufacturing experience combined with an appropriate college degree may be considered.
Keen ability to analyze problems encountered and to make reasonable decisions based on facts/data, procedures, specifications, and experience.
Good English communication skills (reading, writing, verbal) are essential to interface with the various levels of plant management, co-workers, and suppliers.
Good organizational, mathematical, and recordkeeping skills.
Must be able, both mentally and physically, to do the analytical tests. Requires good eye/hand coordination.
Must be willing to work together with co-workers as part of a team; also, must be self-motivated and able to work with little or no supervision.
Strong computer skills including Microsoft Outlook and Office, specifically Microsoft Excel.

Nice To Haves

Certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, SQF, or through ASQ and other professional quality associations are helpful.
Bilingual is a plus (English and Spanish).

Responsibilities

Verifies conformance to FSQA and Safe Quality Foods (SQF) requirements in daily production operations.
Checks, inspects and investigates to ensure that GMP’s are followed, that sanitary conditions prevail, and that raw and in-process materials and finished products meet company and/or government standards as required.
Verifies that the HACCP plan is being followed, including CCPs and CPs through records review or direct observation.
Takes control action (i.e. Hold) when ingredients, product or the manufacturing environment are not within expected specification or standards.
Keeps accurate and complete records.
Conducts plant testing as required, which may include machinery and equipment, temperature and process controls, new products, new raw materials, assisting in new product development, and conducting supply and ingredient studies.
Audits facility product weight control program as required.
Assists in root cause analysis of problems and recommends solutions and preventive measures.
Checks operating procedures and institutes changes based on new product requirements, equipment changes, line speed requirements, raw material variations, etc.
Assists in developing and applying quality controls and related procedures in plant operations.
Provides advice regarding safety, sanitation, processing, filling and packaging techniques.
Contributes to quality and food safety costs and financial benefits to AFNA through compliance to specifications.
Performs pre-operational audits or 100% inspections to verify the effectiveness and adequacy of all cleaning activities.
Assists with investigation of micro failure of finished products or environmental.
Performs all other work as assigned.