Night Quality Technician

Balchem Corporation•Sleepy Eye, MN

About The Position

The Night Quality Technician performs physical and chemical analyses on raw materials and food products from multiple stages of the manufacturing process, following direction from the Quality Assurance Manager and QA Leader. Accuracy, reliability, and timely completion are essential to the role. The technician collects and distributes samples, conducts product, ingredient, and control testing—including flavor checks—and records results according to laboratory procedures. The role also includes communicating critical test information, maintaining laboratory equipment and work areas, and following plant and laboratory GMP and safety procedures. General plant QA work may include collecting product, ingredient, and environmental samples and maintaining insect lights and pest boxes. The technician covers laboratory responsibilities when the Quality Assurance Leader is absent and performs other duties as requested by management. The position requires extended periods on foot, lifting and carrying sample boxes through the plant, and working with hazardous chemicals in noisy, wet, slippery, and hot conditions. Hours are as needed by the company, and off-shift and weekend or holiday work may be required.

Requirements

After four weeks of training, perform all procedures accurately, precisely, and efficiently and meet the accuracy limits outlined in Diehl SOPs, including subsequent revisions.
Attend Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training and follow all mandates.
Run tests correctly and accurately; laboratory performance is evaluated annually.
Complete duties correctly and on time so production personnel receive timely product-quality feedback.
Apply commonsense understanding to carry out written, oral, or diagrammed instructions.
Work independently, organize tasks, and manage workload.
Deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations.
Perform mathematical calculations.
Work on foot for extended periods.
Lift and carry large boxes of samples up several flights of stairs and throughout the plant.
Work in noisy, wet, slippery, and hot plant conditions and with hazardous chemicals.

Responsibilities

Collect samples for analysis and distribute them appropriately.
Perform chemical and physical analyses, including flavor checks, on product, ingredient, and control samples according to laboratory procedures.
Understand the concepts behind analyses, anticipate results, and follow through on deviations.
Record product analyses according to laboratory protocols, including entering data into a computer system.
Communicate critical information about analyses, procedures, and test results effectively and legibly.
Clean and maintain equipment and materials, and clean the laboratory area at the end of the shift.
Follow laboratory and plant GMP and safety procedures according to company guidelines.
Provide written reports when requested by the Quality Assurance Manager or QA Leader.
Perform general plant QA duties, which may include collecting and distributing product and ingredient samples, collecting environmental samples, and maintaining insect lights and pest boxes.
Cover laboratory responsibilities during the Quality Assurance Leader's absence.
Perform other duties as requested by management.