Quality Assurance (QA) Technician

Puris•Harrold, SD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Assurance (QA) Technician supports the Harrold, South Dakota site by managing food safety programs and quality requirements from raw material receipt through shipment to the final customer. The role performs testing of raw materials, finished products, and byproducts and helps ensure the site is audit-ready and compliant with regulatory, customer, certification, and company requirements. The technician also supports the sales division by preparing customer samples and quality documentation. The position performs quality testing, monitoring, inspections, record review, and verification activities. It works closely with Production, Sanitation, Warehouse, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to maintain food safety standards, support audits, investigate quality issues, and keep quality records complete, accurate, traceable, and audit-ready. The technician participates in the Food Safety Team and Organic Fraud Prevention Team and supports food safety and quality management systems, employee training, corrective actions, and continuous improvement. The starting hourly rate is $19.00, paid biweekly. The role is bonus eligible. The hourly rate may vary based on qualifications, experience, market data, internal equity, location, skills, education, and performance.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and food safety is a plus.
One year or more in a manufacturing environment or some type of agricultural experience preferred.
Willingness to learn new things and help others.
Ability to read and understand written sentences, paragraphs, and directions in work-related documents.
Effective time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks.
Ability to perform physical labor.
Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including hearing, eye, and hand protection.
Ability to stand, walk, bend, and reach for extended periods.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds regularly, and occasionally more with assistance.
Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination for handling tools and machinery.
Ability to climb stairs and ladders as needed.
Comfort working in varying temperatures, including hot, cold, and humid conditions.
Ability to wear required PPE, including gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, hearing protection, and steel-toed boots.
Visual and auditory ability to detect safety hazards and machine malfunctions.
Ability to push, pull, squat, kneel, or twist as needed during a shift.
Ability to perform repetitive motions consistently and safely.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of GMPs and food safety.
One year or more of manufacturing experience or some type of agricultural experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct daily inbound pea grading and outbound shipment grading, testing, release, and quality verification.
Track inbound and outbound truck movements and maintain accurate records of related test results.
Grade and test inbound raw materials and finished products, document results, and communicate findings to appropriate stakeholders.
Perform allergen testing on peas, splits, trucks, and other materials as required.
Conduct quality inspections and laboratory testing for ingredients, in-process materials, and finished products.
Review and generate Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for shipments.
Review and maintain production sample logs for accuracy, traceability, and regulatory compliance.
Conduct internal audits, document findings, and support resolution of non-conformities and corrective actions.
Maintain site document control systems, including document accuracy, version control, and compliance with company standards.
Review and verify preventive control programs, including monitoring, verification, and corrective action records.
Support quality investigations, validation activities, product trials, and product evaluations.
Support continuous improvement in food safety culture and food safety and quality performance.
Support food safety policies, procedures, records, and training documentation.
Ensure accuracy, traceability, and compliance of export documentation and sample records.
Participate in monthly Quality meetings, preparing documentation reviews, trend analysis, action items, and follow-up activities.
Conduct quarterly FOSS calibrations.
Identify, document, investigate, and escalate out-of-specification results and quality concerns.
Collaborate with operations, production, and supply chain teams to ensure product quality, customer requirements, and regulatory compliance.
Support third-party, regulatory, certification, and customer audits through preparation, documentation review, participation, and corrective-action follow-up.
Serve on the Organic Fraud Prevention Team, supporting implementation, training, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the Organic Fraud Prevention Plan.
Provide cross-functional support for organic compliance initiatives and business continuity related to fraud prevention and supply chain integrity.
Serve on the Food Safety Team, supporting food safety plan reanalysis, hazard evaluations, verification activities, deviations, corrective actions, and preventive measures.
Assist with reviewing and maintaining food safety and quality management systems for compliance with SQF, regulatory, customer, and certification requirements.
Support employee training programs related to food safety, quality systems, prerequisite programs, and regulatory compliance.

Benefits

Medical insurance plans starting as low as $31 per paycheck, available starting the first of the month after hire.
Dental coverage.
Vision coverage.
Free digital health care for all employees.
Life insurance covered at 100%.
Short-term disability insurance covered at 100%.
Flexible health and dependent care spending accounts.
Retirement plan contribution: PURIS contributes 50% of every dollar saved, up to 6%.
80 hours of PTO accrued annually.
8 paid holidays.
Attendance rewards.
Gas stipend to support commuting.
Access to other free resources.