SQF Practitioner

Adams Group Inc.•Arbuckle, CA

11d•$80,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

With over a century of expertise, Adam’s Group is a fifth-generation family-owned company providing global solutions to the food industry. As a leading supplier of organic and non-GMO bulk and specialty oils, lecithin, and grains, we serve B2B customers in the natural and organic space, including food manufacturers, infant nutrition brands, and industrial processors. We are committed to delivering high-quality, sustainably sourced ingredients that support innovation and clean-label formulations. Position Summary: The SQF Practitioner is responsible for collaborating with the Food Safety Manger and division Quality Manager in developing, implementing, and maintaining the Safe Quality Food (SQF) System to ensure compliance with SQF Food Safety Code requirements and regulatory standards. This role ensures that all vegetable oil and grain processing operations meet food safety, quality, and customer requirements. The SQF Practitioner serves as the primary point of contact for the SQF audit and participates in customer audits in defense of the food safety programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field (or equivalent experience).
Minimum 3 years of experience in food safety within food manufacturing, preferably vegetable oil or grain processing.
Strong knowledge of HACCP, cGMPs, and regulatory requirements (FDA, FGIS/USDA)
Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Must be proficient in reading, speaking and writing in English for the purpose of record keeping, safety and quality training processes.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality management software.
Excellent time management and communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Sense of urgency & ability to meet deadlines.
Self-directed and able to independently execute job requirements.
Certified SQF Practitioner (or ability to obtain certification).
HACCP Certified (or ability to obtain certification).

Nice To Haves

Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), preferred.
Experience with allergen control, sanitation programs, and risk-based preventive controls.
Familiarity with sustainability and environmental compliance in food manufacturing.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects.
Available to work overtime including some weekends
Willing to work in any of our operating locations (Arbuckle and Woodland)
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
Work conditions include various office locations and production sites with exposure to noise, chemicals and/or dust where PPE is provided and mandatory for work within operational areas.

Responsibilities

Understand food regulatory requirements, maintain compliance, and stay up to date with and communicate potential impact to business for pending changes.
Maintain each Division’s hybrid Food Safety Plans (HACCP/PCHF) ensuring compliance with current GMPs (21 CFR Part 117), Food Defense (21 CFR Part 121) and other FSMA requirements.
Serve as one of Adams Group’s PCQIs responsible for document review in accordance with FDA’s requirements.
Primary SQF Practitioner for the Vegetable Oil and Grain divisions: Serve as the designated SQF Practitioner for the facility, ensuring readiness for SQF audits and certifications.
Collaborate in the development, implementation, review, and management of each site’s SQF System having an understanding of the SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing and the requirements to implement and maintain an SQF based Food Safety Management System relevant to the site’s scope of certification: Take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of the SQF System; and Communicate to Food Safety Management all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System.
Certified HACCP practitioner competent in implementing and maintaining HACCP based food safety plans.
Participate in the development and delivery of company food safety training for Quality and Operations personnel.
Promote a culture of food safety and continuous improvement across all departments.
Example activities: Participate in Risk Assessment documentation; Ensure documentation completeness and accuracy within the prerequisite programs; Oversight of monthly internal inspections program; Participation in annual internal auditing programs; investigate non-conformances identified through 2nd and 3rd party audits and collaborating with Operations to implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Conduct routine audits of records for the supplier approval program and allergen programs; Assist in documenting investigations for the Incident & Loss/Non-Conformance programs.
Assist, as directed, in recall events and customer return programs.
Participate in conducting and auditing routine traceability exercises with appropriate documentation for raw materials, finished goods and packaging materials.
Coordinate the Mock Recall exercise for each site including completing the trace and all appropriate evidentiary documentation.
Facilitate each site’s Food Defense Challenge and complete necessary documentation, actions and necessary follow-up.
Take minutes and create action register for regular meetings with members of executive and operational leadership including Food Safety Team, Food Defense Team and Food Fraud meetings as well as routine QFS Management review meetings.
Continuous Improvement initiatives: Analyze food safety data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and procurement teams to enhance process controls.