Senior Food Safety & Quality Assurance Technologist

Smithfield Foods•Clinton, NC

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. Are you a compliance-driven Food Safety and Quality Assurance professional who thrives in high-speed environments and has a passion for improving processes? At Smithfield Foods—one of the nation’s top 25 consumer packaged goods companies—you’ll play a vital role in ensuring our products meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. In this role, you’ll take ownership of routine sanitation checks, enforce HACCP and USDA regulations, and track products from start to finish with precision and accountability. You’ll be responsible for evaluating product quality, identifying deficiencies, and helping to develop corrective actions that keep operations running smoothly. Your expertise will be key in supporting plant programs such as pre-op sanitation, temperature monitoring, GMPs, and leaker detection, all while working cross-functionally to resolve issues and drive improvements. At Smithfield, your dedication to food safety will help deliver trusted products like Smithfield®, Eckrich®, and Nathan’s Famous® to millions of consumers—safely, consistently, and proudly.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in meat science, food science, microbiology, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
The company will consider a currently enrolled college student with an anticipated graduation by the end of the current school year as qualified.
Solid knowledge of QA principles, food safety, USDA, HACCP, SSOP.
Strong technical expertise in quality and regulatory programs.
Able to read, write, and complete required documentation in English.

Nice To Haves

HACCP and SQF certifications preferred.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including regulatory and customer interactions.
Committed to upholding regulatory, company, and customer standards.
Proficient in problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
Skilled in interpreting and writing technical documents, reports, and SOPs.
Able to interpret various instructions (written, oral, diagram, or schedule).
Experienced with monitoring equipment and data interpretation.
Competent in Microsoft Office and other standard business software.

Responsibilities

Play a key role in ensuring our products meet all required specifications through regular inspections and in-process checks.
Take immediate action if something is out of spec—whether that means pulling product, notifying production, or supporting corrective measures.
Help identify issues at the source and contribute to continuous improvement efforts by collecting data, reviewing procedures, and keeping documentation accurate and up to date.
Support the implementation and day-to-day compliance of our HACCP plans by monitoring critical control points, verifying records, and ensuring protocols are followed without exception.
Help identify trends in food safety data and assist in training team members on how to maintain safe, compliant operations.
Help ensure compliance with USDA regulations, perform pre-operational sanitation checks, and coordinate resampling and follow-ups as needed.
Work closely with sanitation and QA teams to verify proper execution and follow-through.
Assist in reviewing and updating food safety programs to ensure they remain aligned with current regulations.
Serve as a resource for newer team members by offering guidance and sharing your knowledge of FS/QA processes.
Step in to help cover essential tasks or assist your supervisor in delegating responsibilities when needed—keeping operations running smoothly and in full compliance, even when key team members are unavailable.