SQF Practitioner

Haliburton International•Ontario, CA

About The Position

The SQF Practitioner is responsible for partnering with the Regulatory Manager and Quality team to develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve Haliburton International Foods’ Safe Quality Food (SQF) System. This role ensures compliance with SQF Food Safety Code requirements, FSMA regulations, FDA and USDA standards, and applicable regulatory requirements. The SQF Practitioner serves as the primary point of contact for SQF certification audits and supports customer and regulatory audits to defend the company’s food safety programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Minimum 5 years of experience in FDA and/or USDA regulated food manufacturing environments.
Hands-on experience as an SQF Practitioner required.
Certified SQF Practitioner required.
HACCP and PCQI certification required.
Strong attention to detail and documentation skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with frozen foods, vegetables, salsas, and USDA inspected products preferred.
Internal Auditor certification strongly preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve the SQF Food Safety Management System in accordance with the SQF Food Safety Code for Food Manufacturing.
Ensure ongoing compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, GMP (21 CFR Part 117), and Food Defense (21 CFR Part 121) requirements.
Maintain and update Food Safety Plans, including HACCP and Preventive Controls (PCQI).
Serve as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), responsible for food safety documentation review and regulatory compliance.
Monitor changes in food safety regulations and standards; communicate potential impacts to the business.
Act as the primary SQF Practitioner and point of contact for SQF certification audits.
Participate in and support customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party audits.
Ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the SQF System by communicating critical food safety information to management.
Support corrective and preventive actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
Develop and deliver food safety training for Quality and Operations personnel.
Promote a strong food safety culture across all departments.
Conduct and oversee internal audits and monthly inspections; investigate and resolve non-conformances.
Lead and participate in traceability and mock recall exercises with appropriate documentation.
Initiate and maintain Food Defense programs, Food Fraud vulnerability assessments, Business Continuity exercises, and other food safety initiatives.
Review, maintain, and organize food safety records and documentation in compliance with SQF and regulatory requirements.
Ability to perform additional related duties as assigned.