Quality Assurance Supervisor

The Food Source International•Exton, PA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Supervisor is responsible for food safety and quality operations of all locations, and for supervising Quality Assurance Technicians in their daily and overall work activities. This role utilizes independent judgment to conduct inspections, supervise employees, participate in audits, perform root cause analyses, approve or reject products, and complete other aspects of the job in compliance with food safety and quality standards. The supervisor has authority to make decisions regarding Quality Assurance Technician supervision, handling of food safety issues, and implementation of continuous improvement projects. They serve as backup to the Quality Assurance Manager, ensuring continuity of food safety and quality operations. The position involves performing on-site food safety and quality training, monthly environmental swabbing, and collaborating with QA leadership to resolve customer complaints. Responsibilities also include writing SOPs, placing products on HOLD, ordering quality supplies, performing water testing, allergen and cleaning validations, and maintaining BRC Certification. The supervisor participates in customer, third-party, and certification audits, works closely with the production team, and contributes to Quality KPIs. They keep QA leadership informed of issues, participate in departmental improvement projects, and serve as a member of the Food Safety and Food Defense Teams. The role includes participating in mock recalls, internal audits, and interacting with the pest control provider. Additionally, they approve and oversee the wash schedule, review Preventive Control documents as a PCQI delegate, and train/mentor Quality Assurance Technicians. Backup duties for Quality Technicians include performing various tests and analyses.

Requirements

5 years of experience as quality assurance auditor/technician in related field.
1-3 years of experience in a supervisory role.
Good understanding of quality testing within the food industry to include analytical, microbiological and sensory evaluation.
Must possess a basic understanding of chemical and microbiological analysis and basic math.
Ability to adapt to changing organizational and operational needs; ability to lead others through change.
The ability to work under pressure (in an extremely fast paced environment), meet deadlines (overtime work required) and make effective decisions.
Ability to stand and walk for long periods of time, lift up to 50 pounds, and perform repetitive tasks.
Must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including a lab coat, gloves, ear plugs, and safety glasses, due to exposure to seasonings, food ingredients, and cleaning materials.
Frequent typing, data entry, and handling of materials requiring the application of pressure with the fingers and palms.
Occasionally moves about the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, or other materials.
Operates a computer and standard office productivity equipment such as a calculator, copy machine, and printer.
Operates laboratory and quality testing equipment as required to perform assigned duties.
Performs product tastings as part of quality verification and development activities; must have the ability to taste accurately and must not have dietary restrictions that would interfere with tasting or evaluating food products.
Communicates information and ideas clearly and accurately so that others can understand, both verbally and in writing.
Observes and inspects details at close range (within a few feet), including ingredients, labels, documentation, and product characteristics.
Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment that may involve noise exposure, standing for extended periods, walking, lifting, and repetitive motions.
Work environment may include exposure to noise, moving machinery, and temperature fluctuations.

Nice To Haves

HACCP certification
PCQI Certification

Responsibilities

Utilizes independent judgment to conduct inspections, supervise employees, participate in audits, perform root cause analyses, approve or reject products, and complete other aspects of the job in compliance with food safety and quality standards.
Has authority to make decisions regarding Quality Assurance Technician supervision, handling of food safety issues, and implementation of continuous improvement projects.
Serves as backup to the Quality Assurance Manager, ensuring continuity of food safety and quality operations.
Performs on-site food safety and quality training for BlendSource employees.
Performs monthly environmental swabbing and reports results for corrective action as needed.
Works with the Director of Quality Assurance and Quality Assurance Manager to respond to and resolve BlendSource customer complaints, including root cause analysis and CAPA implementation.
Writes SOPs and work instructions as needed to standardize and improve quality processes.
Places products on HOLD as necessary; collaborates with QA leadership to determine disposition decisions based on food safety and quality assessments.
Orders quality supplies and consumables for BlendSource as needed.
Performs semi-annual water testing and reports findings to management.
Performs allergen and cleaning validations as necessary, including validations for new equipment or process changes.
Works with QA leadership to maintain BlendSource BRC Certification, participating in audit preparation and documentation.
Participates in BlendSource customer, third-party, and certification audits, providing support documentation and corrective action follow-up.
Works closely with the production team to maintain compliance with Food Safety and Quality Programs.
Contributes to achieving BlendSource Quality KPIs related to performance, safety, and customer satisfaction.
Keeps QA leadership informed of all relevant quality and food safety issues.
Participates in departmental improvement projects to enhance efficiency and compliance.
Serves as an active member of the Food Safety and Food Defense Teams, supporting risk mitigation and incident response.
Participates in mock recalls and traceability exercises to validate recall readiness.
Performs internal audits as assigned to verify system effectiveness and compliance.
Interacts with the third-party pest control provider as needed to verify compliance and document inspections.
Approves and oversees the wash schedule, ensuring cleaning verification is properly documented.
Reviews and signs off on Preventive Control (PC) documents as a PCQI delegate.
Participates in the training and mentoring of Quality Assurance Technicians, ensuring team competence in quality and food safety practices.
Serves as a backup to Quality Technicians, performing testing and monitoring activities as required: Conduct ATP, AllerSnap, and GlutenTox testing for sanitation verification. Perform salt and moisture analysis on product samples. Conduct monthly screen inspections to verify equipment integrity. Set up and evaluate QC samples for in-process and finished product verification. Send seasoning blend samples to third-party microbiological laboratories, ensuring proper packaging, labeling, and submission paperwork. Perform sampling of incoming raw materials as required. Review Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for incoming materials prior to use, confirming specification compliance. Work with production to verify equipment calibration schedules are followed. Conduct pre-blend pallet checks to confirm correct ingredients are staged. Inspect and release equipment to production following maintenance or sanitation.
Performs other duties as assigned to support Quality and Food Safety functions.