QA Technician - 1st Shift

Olli Salumeria•Oceanside, CA

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Technician inspects products at different production phases to ensure company and customer quality standards are met. The role performs equipment, facility, product, and personnel inspections; monitors food safety and quality programs; documents and verifies testing; and coordinates corrective actions when deviations or non-conformities are identified. The technician also collects and stages environmental, allergen, customer, and laboratory samples, and communicates results and quality information to relevant departments and personnel. The position follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, company prerequisite programs, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and OSHA safety rules. It includes pre-shipment reviews of semi-finished and finished products and requires coordination with USDA FSIS personnel, vendors or customers through appropriate personnel, laboratory technicians, and customer QA departments. The schedule is 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Saturday availability. Flexible hours, overtime, and weekend work may be required on short notice. The role pays $21–$23 per hour; starting pay may vary based on factors including position, location, education, training, and experience.

Requirements

High school diploma.
At least 3 years of experience in Quality Assurance roles in a food manufacturing environment.
Excellent attention to detail and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work well with others and follow quality standards closely.
Strong decision-making and multitasking skills while remaining detail-oriented.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and follow verbal and written instructions.
Ability to work with minimal supervision while remaining productive.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as a team player.
Excellent attendance and dependability.
Ability to work flexible hours, including overtime and weekends on short notice.
Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel.
Ability to communicate in English.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals, and to perform unit-of-measure conversions.
Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Manual dexterity sufficient to reach and handle items, work with fingers, and perceive attributes of objects and materials.
Ability to identify and distinguish colors; see clearly at 20 inches or closer and at 20 feet or more; observe an area up, down, left, and right while eyes are fixed on a point; judge distances and spatial relationships; and adjust focus.

Responsibilities

Inspect equipment, facilities, products, and personnel before and during operations.
Participate in swabbing events and collect and stage environmental samples.
Coordinate communication between departments to support compliance with OSHA, USDA FSIS, and company food safety policies.
Interface with USDA FSIS personnel and coordinate inspection requests and corrective actions for identified deviations or opportunities.
Execute, document, verify, and communicate Critical Control Point testing daily.
Identify and facilitate corrective actions for deviations in Critical Control Point measurements.
Release QA-hold product when critical limits are met.
Monitor the HACCP plan and GMPs daily; verify documentation and corrective actions for deviations.
Provide training resources to personnel.
Perform in-process quality checks using program checklists, including metal detector, weight, and label checks.
Verify quality checks performed by other QA and line personnel.
Communicate non-conformities to the appropriate departments and facilitate corrective actions.
Test product characteristics for safety and quality to support safe product release and reduce waste before, during, or after processing.
Monitor, document, and communicate product characteristics throughout production to support product development and innovation.
Communicate and interact with vendors or customers through appropriate personnel.
Collect samples for the Environmental Pathogen and Allergen Monitoring Program on a weekly, bi-weekly, or requested basis.
Create facility and equipment listings for the Environmental Pathogen and Allergen Monitoring Program.
Communicate environmental monitoring results to appropriate departments and verify corrective actions for sample collection or result deviations.
Collect samples for customer-requested laboratory or quality testing.
Coordinate with personnel, laboratory technicians, and customer QA departments to meet safety, production, and quality needs without delays.
Follow GMPs, HACCP, company prerequisite programs, SOPs, and applicable safety rules and guidelines.
Conduct pre-shipment reviews for semi-finished and finished products.