Quality Assurance Team Lead

Overview

The QA Technician Team Lead plays a key leadership role within the Quality Assurance department, supporting day-to-day food safety operations while providing guidance and oversight to the QA Technician team. Reporting to the FSQA Manager, this position serves as the go-to lead for floor-level QA execution, documentation accuracy, cross-departmental coordination, and technician training. The ideal candidate is an experienced QA professional with a strong foundation in food safety, hands-on inspection practices, and a proactive mindset for continuous improvement and team support.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily QA technician activities, including shift task delegation, inspection schedules, and verification of critical control points.
• Conduct inspections of raw materials, in-process items, and finished products, ensuring compliance with specifications and food safety standards.
• Support implementation and monitoring of HACCP and GMP programs; act as floor-level HACCP verifier.
• Perform QA checks such as metal detection, weight verification, label reviews, and visual inspections.
• Review and approve QA documentation, including batch records, hold logs, and sanitation verifications for accuracy and completeness.
• Assist with QA training and onboarding of new technicians; provide ongoing coaching and feedback to improve performance.
• Serve as the QA point-of-contact on the floor during audits, production runs, or quality deviations when the manager is unavailable.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action processes related to quality and food safety issues.
• Communicate quality concerns promptly and clearly to the FSQA Manager and support resolution efforts.
• Assist with internal audits, mock recalls, traceability exercises, and vendor documentation reviews.
• Monitor daily QA KPIs and help identify trends or opportunities for operational improvement.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, or related field preferred
• 3–5 years of QA experience in a food manufacturing or botanical/dietary ingredient environment
• Prior leadership or team lead experience strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, and 21 CFR 111/117 regulations
• Familiarity with Organic, Kosher, and SQF certification requirements
• Competency with sampling, inspections, documentation review, and deviation management
• Experience with data entry, traceability, and QA recordkeeping systems
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and SharePoint platforms
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (required)

Certifications (Preferred)

• HACCP Certificate
• PCQI Certificate
• SQF Practitioner (in progress or experienced with SQF audits)

Physical Requirements

• Able to stand, walk, and perform QA activities on the production floor for extended periods
• Must be able to lift, bend, twist, and carry up to 50 lbs
• Comfortable working in variable temperature environments and wearing required PPE
• Capable of working across office, lab, and manufacturing environments daily

Reports To

Director of FSQA, NPD

Supervises

• QA Technicians

Work Environment

This role operates across production, warehouse, and QA lab spaces. The team lead must be comfortable serving as the quality representative in real-time production activities while also ensuring documentation, training, and system compliance is upheld.

Growth Opportunity

This position is designed as a stepping-stone to QA Supervisor or FSQA Manager roles. It is ideal for QA professionals seeking to expand their leadership skills while continuing to apply hands-on quality practices in a regulated, fast-paced environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $30.00 - $33.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Watsonville, CA 95076 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Watsonville, CA 95076: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $30 - $33