Product Quality Tech - 2nd Shift

Summary – The Product Quality Technician will be responsible to monitor the daily production of soups and prepared meals in collaboration with the Production Team to assure that established quality standards are met at each step of the prep, cook and fill process.

In event of absence, this position will be filled by the adequately trained personnel such as Quality Specialist or FSQ Lead.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other responsibilities w/similar skill and work conditions as assigned.

· Conduct quality audits and influence the proper execution of culinary and cook methods so that product will meet desired quality levels. If necessary, use your culinary knowledge and good judgement to adjust inline to get product within specification.

· Aids and Supports facility teams on investigating, analyzing, containing, and correcting quality issues related to customer complaints.

· Serve as a resource/ coach for established quality standards and procedures, culinary training and technical support to reduce variability in each process.

· Be present and integrated into production activities on the process floor.

· Provide follow up monitoring, documenting and feedback of completed initiative controls.

· Assure all organoleptic qualities and process standards are appropriate and consistently met.

· Monitor and carry-out various batch control tests and product sampling to ensure process is in control.

· Maintain, create, and communicate quality control reporting data.

· Candidate must be able to interact in a dynamic team environment while displaying tact and diplomacy with peers and management alike in order to achieve goals.

· Candidate must be reliable and flexible in order to meet seasonality demands of the business.

· Passion for food, team player, influencer, good communicator and has high quality standards.

Responsibilities for Food Safety Responsible for completing required paperwork accurately and honestly, where applicable.

§ Responsible for completing required paperwork accurately and honestly as applicable.

§ Must adhere to all corporate GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), established SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and all Food and Employee Safety policies.

§ Must adhere to all Allergen control programs and procedures as applicable.

§ Responsible for reporting suspicious packages, activities and individuals.

§ If monitoring CCPs (Critical Control Points), must be trained in HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and adhere to approved HACCP plan(s).

Education and/or Experience

· Associate degree (A. S.) from college or university. Culinary and process acumen. Culinary experience in a manufacturing environment preferred. Bachelor’s Degree in a related discipline of Food Science, Statistics

or a Culinary field and 2+ years manufacturing experience preferably in a food environment, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

· Quality certification/training/experience preferred.

Competencies: “An area of expertise that is fundamental to a particular job or function”

In order to perform this position properly, each candidate must demonstrate the following core competencies (not all inclusive).

§ Business Knowledge

o Effectively utilizes available tools to maximize contribution

o Manages Resources effectively

o Understands relationships of resources, process, and profit

o Ability to project future state, and the ability to prepare and deliver one’s division to its optimum performance

§ Interpersonal Skills

o Builds relationships at all levels

o Manages conflict effectively

o Practices early intervention; resolves issues early

o Communicates effectively; has a point of view

o Inspires trust and Teamwork

o Is a Motivator

§ Judgment

o Analyzes problems effectively

o Demonstrates sound and ethical decision-making, even under pressure

o Patient; challenges appropriately

o Open to ideas of others

o Consistent

§ Leadership

o Persuasive in getting others to consider his/her or companies point of view

o Inspires trust; viewpoint actively sought by others

o Fosters collaboration

o Overcomes objections with logic and effective communication skills

o Able to deliver message of “Culture change”; in a positive, constructive and effective manner

o Is a Leader, and is viewed as one

Language Skills

· Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Mathematical Skills

· Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as fractions, ratios, proportions and percentages.

Reasoning Ability

· Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

· To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient in Microsoft Office and familiar with statistical methods.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

· This position requires a valid drivers license, pre-employment and annual screening of Motor Vehicle Record and personal automobile insurance coverage in accordance with the Blount Fine Foods Employee Handbook.

Other Skills and Abilities

· Strong attention to detail.

· Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously

· Develop a solid understanding of ingredient applications via the R&D process

Physical Demands

· The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

· The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; toxic or caustic chemicals and extreme cold. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.