Quality Assurance Specialist

sweetgreen•Los Angeles, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthy communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 5,000 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we’re committed to leaving people better than we found them. We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means. Our teams are our most valuable ingredient, the heart of our company, the face of our brand, and what truly makes the sweetgreen experience special and unique. Sweetgreen’s Supply Chain Quality Assurance program is organized around five pillars: Specification Management, Supplier Qualification, Audit & Compliance, HACCP & CTQ, and Regulatory Compliance. At Sweetgreen, Quality sets the standards, and business teams own compliance. The Quality Assurance Specialist is an individual contributor on the Supply Chain Quality Assurance team and the program’s hands-on executor across all five quality pillars. The idea candidate will have experience turning category quality strategy into day-to-day execution, developing and maintaining specifications, processing supplier qualification documentation, coordinating audits and corrective actions, and supporting culinary hand-offs. This person will ensure the underlying records, specs, and compliance activities are accurate, complete, and on schedule. We are looking for a detail-oriented quality professional with strong fundamentals in food science, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for real food.

Requirements

4-5 years of experience in food quality assurance, food safety, or a related role within food manufacturing, foodservice, or restaurant supply chain
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience
Demonstrated expertise in ingredient specification development and management, including COAs, allergen documentation, and nutritional labeling
Experience leading or supporting supplier audit programs (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, or similar) and corrective action tracking
Working knowledge of HACCP principles, food safety regulations (FDA, USDA), and quality management systems
Strong organizational skills with proficiency in managing documentation, databases, and quality tracking tools
Experience with FoodLogiQ or similar platforms preferred
Exposure to culinary development processes, new product launches, or menu innovation within a restaurant or foodservice environment is highly preferred

Nice To Haves

A subject matter expert who takes full ownership of specifications, documentation, and compliance activities with thoroughness and precision
An independent operator who can prioritize and drive multiple workstreams across audits, specifications, and culinary
A strong communicator who partners effectively across Culinary, Supply Management, and Operations to translate quality requirements into practical execution
A food safety advocate with deep curiosity about ingredients, sourcing, and what it takes to deliver real food at scale
A sustainability-minded professional with an interest in responsible sourcing, including regenerative agriculture, animal welfare standards, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction
A continuous improvement mindset, comfortable with developing new standards, methods, and tools that strengthen the QA function

Responsibilities

Own and continuously evolve the ingredient and finished product specification and CTQ frameworks across the portfolio, setting the standards and methods that ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with Sweetgreen’s quality standards, regulatory requirements, and culinary intent (Specification Management)
Lead the supplier qualification process end-to-end, independently reviewing onboarding documentation, third-party audits, HACCP and Food Safety Plans, product specs, and allergen declarations, and making supplier approval recommendations (Supplier Qualification)
Drive the supplier audit and compliance program, coordinating third-party and internal audits, adjudicating corrective actions to closure, and maintaining audit standards, schedules, and documentation (Audit & Compliance)
Serve as the subject matter expert for HACCP and CTQ programs, conducting hazard analyses, defining critical control point documentation, and leading verification activities related to ingredient and supplier risk (HACCP & CTQ)
Own Sweetgreen's regulatory compliance activities, including label and allergen review, FSMA 204 traceability documentation, and ingredient attribute standards (Regulatory Compliance)
Lead the culinary hand-off process from supplier to restaurant, partnering with the Culinary and Supply Management teams to ensure new and modified ingredients meet quality, food safety, and operational requirements before launch
Establish and maintain QA documentation systems and standards, including supplier certificates of analysis (COAs), letters of guarantee, allergen statements, and compliance records
Analyze supplier quality performance using data from FoodLogiQ and other quality management systems, identifying trends and independently driving issues to resolution
Develop process documentation, SOPs, and quality system enhancements, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the QA function’s methods and techniques and supporting LTO and new product introduction (NPI) timelines

Benefits

Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
Dental and Vision insurance
Flexible PTO plan
401k program
Employee HSA and FSA
Complimentary greens
An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
Free sweetgreen swag