QA Technician - 1st Shift

Olli Salumeria•Oceanside, CA

14h•$21 - $23

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 results; and coordinates corrective actions with production and other departments. The technician also collects environmental, allergen, customer-requested, and other quality samples, communicates results, and supports product safety, quality, and development throughout the production process. The position follows GMPs, HACCP requirements, company prerequisite programs, SOPs, and OSHA safety rules. It includes conducting pre-shipment reviews, verifying quality checks and documentation, and coordinating with USDA FSIS personnel, laboratory technicians, vendors or customers through appropriate personnel, and customer QA departments. The schedule is 4:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Saturday availability. The role may require flexible hours, overtime, and weekend work on short notice. Pay is $21–$23 per hour; starting pay may vary based on 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.
Excellent verbal communication skills and ability to communicate in English.
Ability to work well with others and demonstrate strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Ability to closely follow quality standards and verbal and written instructions.
Excellent decision-making skills.
Ability to multitask while remaining detail-oriented.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision while remaining productive.
Excellent attendance and dependability.
Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals, and perform unit-of-measure conversions.
Ability to work flexible hours, including overtime and weekends on short notice.
Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Sufficient manual dexterity 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

Perform pre-operational and operational inspections of equipment, facilities, products, and personnel.
Participate in swabbing events and environmental sample collection and staging.
Coordinate communication between departments to ensure equipment, personnel, and food safety comply with OSHA, USDA FSIS, and company policy.
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 coordinate corrective actions for deviations in Critical Control Point measurements.
Release products from QA hold when critical limits are met.
Monitor HACCP plans and GMPs daily; verify documentation and corrective actions for deviations and 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 personnel and line personnel.
Communicate non-conformities to appropriate departments and coordinate corrective actions.
Test product characteristics for safety and quality to support safe product release and reduce waste before, during, and 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 as-requested basis; create site listings for facilities and equipment; communicate results; and coordinate corrective actions for sampling or result deviations.
Collect samples for customer-requested laboratory or quality testing.
Communicate with personnel, laboratory technicians, and customer QA departments to meet safety, production, and quality needs throughout the production day without delays.
Follow GMPs, HACCP, company prerequisite programs, SOPs, and company and OSHA safety rules, regulations, and guidelines.
Conduct pre-shipment reviews for semi-finished and finished products.