Risk Specialist I , Product Safety Assurance, Worldwide Grocery Stores (WWGS)

Amazon • Austin, TX

5d • $55,600 - $97,400 • Onsite

About The Position

This role collaborates with various teams including Product Safety Assurance Specialists, Product Developers, Nutrition Compliance Analysts, Private Brands (PB) Merchandising Team, and Suppliers. The primary focus is to lead the development of product safety specifications and associated requirements for assigned food products sold by Worldwide Grocery Stores (WWGS) under Private Brands. This involves reviewing specifications and testing results to ensure consistent product safety for customers and contributing to commercialization activities by providing technical guidance to ensure products meet WWGS PB, safety, regulatory, and Quality Standards.

Requirements

• Experience working cross functionally across several teams
• BA/BS degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• 2 to 4 years relevant experience in food retail, CPG manufacturing, or product safety and quality OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Experience working with suppliers and testing specifications
• Experience working in a food and/or non-food quality control or assurance department, including familiarity with product safety risk assessment, regulatory compliance (state, federal, and international), and specification development
• Excellent communication, organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities, including developing appropriate milestones, managing schedules, and balancing resources and a bias for action to deliver against rapid development timelines
• Proficient Microsoft Office skills (Outlook, Excel, Word); database experience preferred
• Ability to work effectively, independently and within a team.
• Ability to make decisions or judgments and know when to seek subject matter expert opinion
• Ability to travel domestically up to 20% of time; minimal international travel expectations
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision
• Ability to have fun and enable others to have fun while achieving results
• HACCP certification and/or PCQI certification

Nice To Haves

• Experience with natural and organic foods
• Experience with Perishables (produce, meat, seafood)
• Sensory evaluation experience and skills
• Experience with product specification databases
• Experience with production facility auditing

Responsibilities

• Develop appropriate chemical, microbiological, physical, and shelf-life test requirements for products based on supplier data, existing testing profiles, all applicable regulatory requirements, food safety or product safety risk, and all WWGS specific requirements.
• Review applicable product claims and statements and determine criteria for claim validation.
• Partner with Product Developers to incorporate characterizing product attributes into the testing profile.
• Review Supplier Quality Reports and Facility Risk Assessments to determine appropriate risk of product and facility and adjust specification or verification plans accordingly.
• Review Supplier Food Safety Plans, product risk assessments, and applicable facility documents to develop product testing profiles.
• Review Supplier documents and test results to ensure adherence to WWGS PB and regulatory standards, and adherence to agreed WWGS testing profiles.
• Partner with their Team Lead, WWGS legal team, and cross-functional stakeholders to determine product testing needs to meet state, federal, and international regulatory requirements.
• Present findings, recommendations, and project decisions to leaders up to 3 tiers above level, as needed.
• Review and approve shelf-life study validation parameters with Suppliers for new and existing products.
• Partner with appropriate stakeholders as needed to determine product performance acceptability and CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) plans for out of specification test results.
• Monitor existing product test results for compliance with ongoing periodic testing per the agreed testing profiles.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders on interpretation of data trends, product improvement activities, and test results, as needed.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to ensure products meet WWGS PB Quality Standards and regulatory requirements throughout the lifespan of the product.
• Provide informal support and guidance to less experienced team members, as needed.

Benefits

• health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage)
• 401(k) matching
• paid time off
• parental leave
• sign-on payments
• restricted stock units (RSUs)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree