Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Manage the daily activities of the QA Technicians on the shift; prepare work schedules, assign work, and oversee the QA work projects.
• Monitor QA Technician work schedules and attendance; schedule backups, approve time-off requests and report absences in a timely manner to the HR department.
• Work collaboratively with Operations and Maintenance personnel to ensure food safety and quality requirements are met and to resolve issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Interpret and communicate customer requirements to production and supporting teams.
• Establish and audit processes to ensure that customer requirements and product specifications are met; review nonconformance issues, conduct root-cause analysis, determine appropriate corrective actions and preventive measures, and assess effectiveness of preventive measures over time.
• In conjunction with Operations personnel and others, design and implement methods/strategies for process control, process improvement, testing and inspection. Conduct statistical analysis of quality attributes and process measurements; develop data and trend analyses; evaluate trends and communicate findings to management.
• Coordinate and participate in internal quality audits.
• Assist with performing food safety & quality audits on suppliers/vendors as requested.
• Serve as a QA resource in the new project development process and subsequent new product rollout to production as needed.
• Monitor & document compliance with USDA-FSIS Regulations including food safety regulations on cooking and chilling, sanitation regulations, and labeling regulations.
• Participate in process validation activities.
• Assist in the resolution of customer complaints.
• Aid in the revision of product specifications, product audits, QA & Food Safety forms & procedures, etc.

§Contact raw material, ingredient, and/or packaging suppliers to obtain information as needed.
§Post information to customer websites.
§Download testing results from outside laboratory websites.

• Oversee calibration of technical equipment.
• Oversee, coordinate and conduct Glass & Brittle Plastics audits and Good Manufacturing Practices audits; generate audit reports on a monthly basis, sharing findings with other departments as needed; generate Maintenance Work Order Requests in response to findings.
• Promote a positive and supportive work environment.
• Oversee the ongoing training of QA Technicians and Backup QA Technicians.
• Compile, write, and deliver training material to QA personnel on quality control standards, procedures and activities as needed.
• Provide backup assistance to the Director of Food Safety & Quality, the other QA Supervisors and the QA Technicians as needs dictate.
• Support the SQF recertification process and ongoing compliance.
• Provide back-up assistance as Food Safety Compliance Representative in the absence of the Manager of Food Safety & Quality.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities
This position supervises the activities of the QA Technicians in the performance of their daily shift activities, carrying out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining; addressing complaints and resolving work issues.
Qualifications
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Must have a strong attention to detail and be able to work with a high degree of accuracy.Must have flexibility to work weekends and other shifts as needed, potentially for 1-2 weeks at a time.Must be dependable, punctual, self-motivated, and be capable of making sound decisions.Must also have completed HACCP Certification or willingness to become HACCP Certified, and SQF Practitioner Certification or willingness to obtain that certification.
Education and/or Experience
A minimum of an Associate's degree in Quality, Food Science or a related field is normally required; a Bachelor's degree is preferred.Previous leadership experience is also preferred.Must have a minimum of 3 years previous Quality Assurance experience in a USDA-FSIS-regulated food manufacturing environment, preferably with ready-to-eat processed meats. Must have knowledge of Quality Systems, including Global Food Safety Initiative standards (e.g. SQF) and experience applying root-cause problem solving and other quality methodologies.Previous experience with the USDA-FSIS label approval process is desirable.Basic understanding of meat processing and basic knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations as they pertain to fully cooked meat & poultry sausage product is required.Previous experience with process improvement activities and documentation is also required.
Communication Skills
Must possess strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team.Must have the ability to read and interpret documents such as operating and technical instructions, and procedure manuals. Must be able to interpret data, summarize it and present it in a meaningful, easy-to-understand fashion.
Computer Skills
Must possess strong computer proficiencies with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.Previous experience with databases, Statistical Process Control software and Enterprise Resource Planning software (e.g. MAS 500) is strongly preferred. Hands-on experience with electronic data collection on the plant floor is highly desirable.
Mathematical Skills
Must have strong math skills, with the ability to calculate formulas and percentages, perform metric conversions and common statistical analyses, and interpret data.
Reasoning Ability
Must have the ability to apply common sense in decision making and carrying out instructions furnished in written, verbal, and/or diagram form.Must have strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills.Previous training in, and application of, root cause analysis methodology is strongly preferred.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the partner is frequently required to stand; walk; sit and talk or hear. The partner is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.Must occasionally lift boxes of product weighing up to 30#.Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, far vision, depth perception and color vision.
Work Environment
The work environment described here is representative of conditions a partner encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the office work environment is low, and while the production work environment is usually loud.A wide temperature range exists in different production areas, ranging from 35° to 100° F.The production work environment is wet and slippery most times, and each partner is required to wear slip-resistant footwear, frocks, hearing protection and hairnets at all times in the production areas.