Food Safety & Compliance Specialist

Led by dynamic owner Joe Gurrera (and his commitment to superior quality) Citarella has grown from a respected NYC fish market into a full-scale, Ultimate Gourmet Market with locations across New York City, the Hamptons, and Greenwich, Connecticut.

A family-run business, we’re driven by a passion for great food. We delight customers with the finest selection of fresh seafood, prime, dry-aged beef, chef-prepared specialties and handcrafted pastries, international cheeses, imported groceries, and more. Join our team of seasoned professionals and become a part of the fabric of the New York food scene.

Role And Responsibilities

This role will be responsible for enforcing food safety standards, conducting inspections, providing training, and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulatory and company-specific standards. The ideal candidate will possess strong knowledge of food safety protocols, auditing, and compliance requirements, and will have a passion for maintaining operational excellence in a food production environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Enforce Food Safety Standards: Ensure compliance with food safety protocols, including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Assist in maintaining adherence to BRC standards and support efforts for AA certification.
• Conduct Regular Inspections: Regularly inspect food, equipment, and facilities to ensure compliance with company policies, regulations, and food safety standards. Monitor storage, holding areas, and packaging processes.
• Training & Guidance: Provide training and ongoing guidance to employees on food safety procedures, regulations, and best practices. Ensure that staff members understand and follow HACCP, GMP, and other regulatory requirements.
• Auditing & Reporting: Assist with internal food safety audits and coordinate with external auditors to ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, OSHA, and local/state food safety regulations. Document findings and report any issues to facility management and the Compliance Manager.
• Corrective Actions: Identify deviations from food safety standards, implement corrective actions, and follow up to ensure the effective correction of any issues. Support the investigation of food safety violations and assist in root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
• Compliance Documentation: Maintain accurate documentation of all food safety inspections, audits, training, and corrective actions. Prepare reports for internal use and regulatory agencies.
• Collaboration: Work with facility management, production teams, maintenance staff, and vendors to maintain compliance and implement food safety practices across all departments.
• Regulatory Knowledge & Safety Programs: Stay up to date with relevant regulations from agencies such as FDNY, NYCDOH, NYCDOS, and other local and federal regulatory bodies. Support safety programs in compliance with OSHA standards.
• Travel: Travel to various facilities, including locations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Southern Connecticut, to perform inspections and audits .
  
  

Important Disclaimer Notice

The described functions are among the essential job functions for this position but are not exhaustive of the essential functions of the job or of the tasks that an Associate may be required to perform. Associates may be assigned additional responsibilities as necessary. The employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require Associates to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business, competitive considerations, or the work environment change.

Qualifications And Education Requirements

• 2 years in a food safety, compliance, or quality assurance role, ideally in food production.
• Familiarity with the FDA, USDA, OSHA, FDNY, NYCDOH, and NYCDOS is a plus.
• Knowledgeable in chemical safety and SDS.
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word) and familiarity with compliance management software.
• English & Spanish (plus)
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Ability to work in cold storage environments
• Willingness to travel to various sites within New York City and Southern Connecticut.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a wide demographic
  
  

At Citarella, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. Citarella will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law. 

EOE/M/F/V/D