Senior Quality Technician

Channel Fish Processing•Braintree, MA

6d•$32 - $36

About The Position

The Senior Quality Technician is an experienced member of the Quality Assurance team responsible for supporting food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, customer requirements, and day-to-day production operations. The role serves as a senior technical resource within QA and works closely with Production, Sanitation, Sales, Operations, laboratories, customers, suppliers, and other departments. The position includes label review, regulatory compliance, specifications, customer complaints, traceability, environmental and finished-product testing programs, internal audits, corrective actions, customer portals, document verification, and quality data tracking and trending. The Senior Quality Technician works independently on assigned responsibilities while remaining actively involved on the production floor. Duties include performing pre-operational inspections, including inspections that may begin at approximately 4:00 a.m., and providing line support when operational needs require. The role also supports food safety and quality audits, investigations, product launches, and other QA projects as assigned.

Requirements

Prior Quality Assurance or food safety experience in a food manufacturing or food-processing environment is required.
Experience reviewing product labels, specifications, quality records, and regulatory documentation.
Experience conducting internal audits and managing corrective-action follow-up.
Experience with customer complaints and communicating with customers, Sales, Operations, laboratories, or other internal or external stakeholders.
Strong computer skills, including the demonstrated ability to create, maintain, and analyze Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and tracking systems.
Strong attention to detail and ability to recognize inconsistencies, missing information, and quality or compliance concerns.
Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and follow items through to completion.
Ability to communicate professionally and effectively across departments and levels of the organization.
Ability to work independently while functioning effectively as part of the broader QA and Operations team.
Ability to work in a food manufacturing environment, including refrigerated and production areas.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and move throughout production and sanitation areas.
Ability to wear required PPE and comply with GMP, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety requirements.
Ability and willingness to work flexible hours based on production needs, including early-morning pre-operational inspections beginning at approximately 4:00 a.m.
Ability to provide hands-on production-floor support as needed.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience with FDA- and/or USDA-regulated food products and processes is strongly preferred.
Experience with microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, sanitation, and/or laboratory programs is preferred.
Experience with customer portals such as TraceGains, FoodLogiQ, SEDEX, or similar platforms is preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform routine and advanced quality assurance activities supporting food safety, product quality, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations.
Conduct assigned pre-operational inspections, including inspections beginning at approximately 4:00 a.m.
Provide hands-on QA support to production lines, including product, process, packaging, labeling, food safety, and quality checks.
Assist Production and Operations with investigating and resolving quality-related issues.
Liaise with Sanitation regarding pre-operational findings, sanitation deficiencies, environmental concerns, corrective actions, and production readiness.
Verify required food safety, quality, sanitation, production, and regulatory documentation.
Escalate significant food safety, quality, or regulatory concerns to QA management as appropriate.
Design, review, maintain, and print product labels in accordance with applicable FDA and USDA requirements, customer requirements, and company standards.
Review labels and supporting documentation for completeness and accuracy before use.
Assist with FDA, USDA, and other applicable regulatory compliance activities, inspections, audits, customer requests, documentation gathering, and follow-up.
Maintain accurate and current quality and regulatory records.
Assist in developing, reviewing, and maintaining raw material, ingredient, packaging, and finished-product specifications.
Review specifications for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and alignment with product and customer requirements; coordinate corrections or updates for missing or inconsistent information.
Support new product introductions and product development, including specifications, labeling, testing, documentation, and production start-up.
Coordinate with QA, Sales, Operations, Production, and other departments to address quality and regulatory requirements before product launch.
Manage schedules for finished-product microbiological testing and environmental monitoring; coordinate sample collection, laboratory submission, result tracking, and documentation.
Monitor testing schedules, review results, and promptly escalate out-of-specification, positive, unusual, or concerning findings according to company procedures.
Assist with investigations and corrective actions related to laboratory or environmental monitoring findings.
Perform scheduled and as-needed internal facility audits covering food safety, GMPs, sanitation, quality systems, documentation, and regulatory or customer requirements.
Document audit observations and communicate findings to responsible departments.
Assist with delegation, tracking, follow-up, and closure of corrective actions; verify implementation and supporting documentation and identify recurring issues or trends.
Assist with customer complaint investigations, documentation, supporting data, corrective actions, and follow-up.
Communicate professionally with Sales and other departments about specifications, customer requirements, documentation, complaints, and quality concerns; assist with customer requests for quality, food safety, regulatory, testing, and product information.
Maintain customer and regulatory/compliance portals, including TraceGains, FoodLogiQ, SEDEX, and other customer-specific platforms; upload and maintain required specifications, certifications, questionnaires, audit documentation, test results, and other information.
Monitor portal requests and deadlines, coordinate internally to obtain missing documentation, and maintain accurate, organized, readily retrievable records.
Oversee and support the facility traceability program; conduct and document traceability exercises and mock recalls as assigned.
Verify traceability documentation for applicable raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, work-in-process, and finished products; identify gaps or discrepancies and coordinate corrective follow-up.
Develop, maintain, and improve Excel spreadsheets, trackers, logs, and reports supporting QA and food safety programs.
Compile and analyze data on customer complaints, microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, internal audits, corrective actions, production quality issues, and other QA metrics; complete periodic tracking and trending reports.
Identify recurring issues, patterns, or adverse trends and bring them to QA management; assist in developing reporting tools that provide management visibility into quality and food safety performance.
Serve as an experienced QA resource to Quality Technicians and production employees.
Support company, customer, and third-party food safety and quality audits as requested.
Participate in investigations involving product quality, food safety, sanitation, customer complaints, or regulatory concerns.
Maintain confidentiality of company, customer, supplier, and product information.
Assist with special QA and food safety projects and provide production-line and operational support as business needs require.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as requested or assigned.