QA Associate - 1st Shift

Pacific Cheese•Nevada, Reno, NV, US, NV

3d•$23 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

Pacific Cheese is hiring a QA Associate for a first-shift role in South Reno. The position monitors food safety and product quality to ensure finished products meet applicable specifications. It supports compliance with company GMP guidelines, reports and documents food safety, sanitation, and quality issues, and conducts assigned operational, sanitation, air-quality, and temperature checks. The role also provides recommendations for quality-control and quality-assurance improvements and works with other departments to address quality issues. Work takes place in a warehouse or production environment, typically at 45–55°F and potentially as low as 32°F. Production noise may require hearing protection. The role requires prolonged standing and frequent twisting, turning, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, and lifting materials weighing up to 50 pounds. The employer conducts a pre-employment drug screen.

Requirements

Ability to work the first-shift schedule starting at 5:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional overtime.
Ability to work in a warehouse or production environment at temperatures typically between 45°F and 55°F and as low as 32°F.
Ability to tolerate production noise that may require hearing protection.
Ability to stand for long periods and frequently twist, turn, bend, stoop, push, pull, and lift materials up to 50 pounds.
Successful completion of the pre-employment drug screen.

Responsibilities

Prepare required paperwork at start-up.
Grade products and conduct in-line inspection audits of finished products and packaging.
Inspect production-line machine performance according to the QA manual and procedures.
Ensure inspections are documented and performed at the required frequency.
Collect and manage testing and quality-keeping samples, including plug and retain samples as needed.
Collect and manage customer-requested samples.
Complete required DV/return tasks, including inspection, counting, and placing items on hold.
Assist with testing for the Sample Retain Program.
Keep the retention area clean and organized.
Monitor the QA Hold area to ensure it is locked.
Report discrepancies and assist in assessing corrective actions.
Work closely with all departments on quality issues.
Monitor product and in-feed raw-material rejects.
Perform assigned daily temperature monitoring each shift.
Complete orange and red hold tags as needed and correctly.
Print put-away sheets for filing and compile hold tags for review.
Assist with pre-operational and ATP sanitation assessments for lines before start-up, and with the Environmental Monitoring Program.
Ensure quality-assessment tools are performing optimally and are calibrated on schedule.
Check utensils in and out and document them appropriately.
Cross-train for other positions in the department.
Attend required department and company training.
Keep the production-floor grading area and lab clean and orderly.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Conduct assigned monitoring activities to ensure finished products meet food-safety and quality specifications.
Assist in enforcing company GMP guidelines on the production line.
Report and document food-safety, sanitation, and quality issues and deviations to management.
Perform assigned daily operational and sanitation inspections each shift, as well as assigned air-quality and high-pressure air-quality tests.
Follow applicable plant, customer, state, federal, OSHA, EPA, FDA, USDA, HACCP, and SQF guidelines and regulations for food safety, quality, and employee safety, as well as Good Manufacturing Practices.