Your Opportunity as the Specialist, Quality Assurance
Utilize your technical expertise and leadership capabilities to drive food safety, quality systems, sanitation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives at the Grandview facility. As a Specialist, Quality Assurance, you will serve as a subject matter expert for Food Safety, HACCP, Food Defense, Quality Systems, and audit readiness programs while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, and Sanitation teams to deliver safe, high-quality products to our customers and consumers. This role provides technical leadership, drives defect elimination efforts, and influences the site's food safety and quality culture.
Location: Grandview, WA
Work Arrangements: 100% on-site
In This Role You Will:
Quality Systems & Food Safety Leadership
- Lead the implementation, optimization, and continuous improvement of Proficy and other digital quality management systems, including data collection, reporting, and trend analysis.
- Own designated Key Elements and ensure ongoing compliance with corporate, regulatory, and customer requirements.
- Support Food Safety, HACCP, Preventive Controls, Food Defense, GMP, and Sanitation programs while ensuring compliance with regulatory and GFSI requirements.
- Support the hold/release programs for finished goods and raw materials.
- Serve as a leader or active member of the HACCP and Food Defense teams to identify, assess, and mitigate food safety and quality risks.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on food safety, sanitation, defect reduction, and process capability improvements.
Quality Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Support plant quality performance metrics and scorecards, including trend analysis, root cause identification, and performance reporting.
- Verify sanitation effectiveness through inspections, environmental data review, and sanitation audits.
- Support investigations involving customer complaints, quality incidents, non-conforming products, audit findings, and process deviations.
- Facilitate root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities to ensure sustainable solutions.
- Utilize statistical and data analysis tools to identify opportunities for waste reduction, loss elimination, process optimization, and quality improvement.
- Partner with Operations leadership to drive out defects and improve product quality performance.
Audit & Regulatory Compliance
- Support internal audit programs and maintain continuous audit readiness for regulatory, customer, corporate, BRCGS, and third-party audits.
- Serve as a key plant resource during customer, regulatory, and certification audits.
- Verify compliance with Food Safety Plans, sanitation programs, environmental monitoring programs, allergen controls, and quality system requirements.
- Support recall and traceability activities and participate in mock recall exercises as required.
Technical Leadership & Training
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and technical guidance to Quality Technicians, Operations personnel, and other cross-functional partners.
- Develop and facilitate GMP, HACCP, Food Safety, Food Defense, Quality Systems, and Sanitation training programs.
- Support startup and validation activities for new equipment, process changes, and capital projects.
- Develop, review, and maintain SOPs, work instructions, quality procedures, and plant documentation.
Program Ownership
- Lead Food Defense program activities and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Oversee and lead plant quality systems including but not limited to: GMPs, pest management, traceability, manifesting, sanitation verification, SDS management, and wastewater management.
What we are looking for:
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree in a technical field (Food Science or Biological Science) or 5 years equivalent experience.
- 2 years experience in food manufacturing, food science, QC/QA, or co-op or internship
- Strong computer skills and experience using Microsoft Office applications
- Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
- Strong organizational, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Experience mentoring or training others
- Willing to work flexible hours (weekends, off shifts) as needed
Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:
- HACCP Certification / PCQI Training
Compensation Range: $79,500 - $101,200
The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
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We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
