Sr Specialist Quality Assurance

The Hershey Company

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Sr Quality Assurance Specialist serves as a critical liaison between Quality Assurance (QA) and Manufacturing, providing support to manufacturing operations and acting as the QA representative on shift for a Business Unit. This role covers primarily 1st shift, M-F, with rotating on-call responsibility on weekends. The role ensures compliance with company and regulatory policies related to product safety and quality, and may include environmental duties. The Specialist is a technical resource for Manufacturing and Engineering, offering leadership in weight control, packaging, incident investigation, troubleshooting, and related matters. QA support is provided to the assigned Business Unit (BU), with a strong focus on Hershey’s quality systems requirements. Some laboratory duties are required.

Requirements

• B.S. or A.S. in Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Food Science, Microbiology, or related field, or equivalent experience. 1–5 years of related experience.
• Initiative, drive, and ability to exemplify Hershey behaviors.
• Ability to maintain good working relationships, trust, and dependability within the QA team.
• Strong problem-solving/root cause analysis (RCA), critical thinking, and passion for improvement.
• Quality Assurance background (experience beyond Consumer Packaged Goods is transferable).
• Knowledge of federal/state food industry regulations, sanitation/pest control, and GFSI standards.
• Strong computer/document management skills, attention to detail, and effective communication.
• Ability to work flexible hours and alternate shifts should the business need require.
• Experience contributing to a strong team dynamic.
• Leadership skills to influence and direct activities of teams without direct reporting lines.

Responsibilities

• Compliance: Facilitate production activities to meet quality/safety specifications and regulatory standards through training, auditing, troubleshooting, and incident management.
• Training: Educate and train plant employees on food quality and safety issues; follow up to ensure understanding.
• Auditing: Conduct audits per Product Excellence Program (PEP), HACCP, and environmental compliance procedures; review CCP paperwork.
• Incident Management: Investigate and analyze incidents, initiate corrective actions, and communicate findings.
• Sampling/Instrumentation: Supports sampling programs (micro, pesticide, environmental, retained samples), and remains open to building capability with analytical instrumentation.
• HACCP: Conduct internal audits on HACCP and PEP systems, document/report findings, and follow up on non-conformances.
• Sanitation Inspections: Perform regular sanitation inspections and audits of sanitation practices and prerequisite systems, ensuring compliance and driving improvements.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead improvement teams, prepare reports, and support new product efforts from test runs to full-scale production.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level