Quality Assurance Technician, Lead (2nd Shift)

CONA Services•Fort Worth, TX

5d•$30 - $37•Onsite

About The Position

The QA Technician, Lead is responsible for the compliance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the facility’s sanitation program. The role provides leadership and oversight for execution of the Master Sanitation Program and microbiology requirements, including collecting, plating, and reading microbiology samples. The Lead also performs these activities routinely, reviews cleaning and sanitizing activities and records for manual and automated processes, identifies gaps that may cause microbiological growth, reports on program effectiveness, leads corrective actions, and provides sanitation and microbiology training to production, maintenance, and quality assurance team members. The position supports quality, food safety, safety, and environmental management systems; maintains laboratory procedures and safety manuals; oversees microbiology laboratory supplies and equipment; performs microbiological analyses and related sampling; and communicates results and quality issues to management. The role also supports audits, training, preventive maintenance, water treatment and water-sampling activities, and use of the Infinity QS SPC system. The work schedule is 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM on a 2-2-3 schedule, and the position requires schedule flexibility to meet business needs.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Technical training in food microbiology or general microbiology, including sampling, plating, plate reading, and good microbiology practices; more than two years of demonstrated microbiology work experience may replace the training requirement.
Two years of food microbiology program experience.
Experience working within an ISO management system or a USDA/FDA environment.
At least one year of experience in an auditing or inspecting role against organizational standards.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and with SAP.
Experience training others.
Ability to interact with multiple levels of leadership, write clear and concise reports, and participate in team problem-solving activities.
Ability to maintain a flexible schedule to meet business needs.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or associate degree in Food Science, a technical or engineering field, or continuous improvement/project management.
Experience in the beverage manufacturing industry.
ISO Auditor Certification.
Experience with statistical analysis.

Responsibilities

Monitor completion of Master Sanitation Program requirements and ensure the schedule is followed for assigned QA areas.
Review cleaning and sanitizing activities and records for manual and automated processes to identify gaps that could lead to microbiological growth.
Conduct microbiological sampling, plating, and reading activities, including preparing test media aseptically and performing CCNA proficiency tests when required.
Generate reports on the effectiveness of the Master Sanitation Program and communicate microbiological results to management daily or weekly.
Initiate and lead Master Sanitation Program-related corrective actions.
Provide sanitation and microbiology training to production, maintenance, and QA team members, including training new QA technicians in sample collection, dilutions, plating, reading, and aseptic techniques.
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of applicable Quality Manuals and Policies.
Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of the QA Department’s role in ISO systems for food safety, safety, quality, and environmental matters.
Select sites for weekly pre-operational inspections.
Maintain laboratory Standard Operating Procedures and Safety Manuals.
Inventory and submit purchase requests for microbiology laboratory supplies.
Verify daily incubator temperatures.
Conduct research and special projects as required.
Keep the Quality Assurance Supervisor, Lead Lab Tech, and Production Supervisor informed of quality issues throughout the shift.
Assist with announced and unannounced audits.
Track, monitor, and implement preventive maintenance for applicable QA equipment.
Complete the train-the-trainer course and conduct training as necessary.
Use and troubleshoot the Infinity QS SPC system.
Monitor, operate, and troubleshoot the water treatment system as necessary.
Collect and submit required water samples for THMs, monthly sodium analysis, and annual water testing.
Comply with company food safety, safety, quality, environmental, and GMP policies and standards, including required safety attire.
Maintain a flexible schedule to meet business needs.