Quality Technician I- Quality 1st Shift at Hearthside Food Solutions LLC in Michigan City, Indiana

Job Description:

Job Summary:

The Quality Technician shall enforce that all elements of food safety within the plan are being met.The Quality Technician will share any discrepancies with the QMS to their Supervisor or Quality Manager.These discrepancies are but not limited to HACCP programs, Allergen programs, Sanitation procedures, GMP findings, Foreign Material findings, and HOLD procedures.The Quality Technician will ensure that all regulatory, customer, and company quality initiatives are being met and maintained.This position is face paced and requires basic math and reasoning skills.

Job Duties:
•Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:
•Responsible for ensuring that raw ingredients, WIP, and packaging materials match the item number specified on the project startup sheet.
•Verify that the product is within date and that the correct revision numbers on the bulk or film are correct.
•Product testing
•Packaging testing
•Date coding
•Line cleanup and inspection
•Set up and verify barcode scanner as required by customer.
•Correctly measure air fill in pouches by using height gauge.
•Different customer products will require different date code formats.The technician will be responsible for using the product setup sheet to correctly setup the date coding formats on the bag, pouch, carton, shipper, case or other product vessel.
•Responsible for knowing how to set up and troubleshoot the various pieces of code dating equipment within the facility.
•Must be able to inspect and know what is involved for a blow down cleanup, a blow down wash, kosher, organic, and 100% allergen cleanup.
•Must be able to source and requisition supplies needed to operate their lab.All requisitions must be turned into the Quality Manager for approval.
•Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) at all times.
•Comply with all safety, health and environmental regulations as prescribed by law.
•Comply with all Company rules, regulations and policies.
•Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Competencies & Knowledge:
•Knowledgeable in the maintaining and controlling of any CCP's that relate to their lines.This includes setup and troubleshooting of the various metal detectors used and the set up and troubleshooting of the various barcode scanners used.
•Knowledge and experience with SAP

Skill in:
•Maintain harmonious working relations with employees from all departments.
•Maintain harmonious working relations with management from all levels.
•Communicate effectively with all employees and management.

Ability to:
•Communicate in English to give and acknowledge instructions and problems.
•Physical and mental ability to work in excess of 40 hours per week.
•Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in various units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
•Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.
•Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram and schedule form.
•Use Computrac for measuring moisture in a raw or finished good.
•Use shaker screens to determine fines percentages.
•Utilize salt machines to determine salinity of a product.
•Correctly use a scale to determine if a product is meeting specified weight.
•Utilize Vitamin C machine to determine vitamin content.
•Utilize YSI machine to determine sugar content.
•Use a headspace analyzer to monitor oxygen levels.
•Correctly use a Gemco, Pressurized Water Tank or non-pressurized vessel to monitor seal integrity.

Proficiency in:
•MS Office Suite and some SAP

Work Environment:
•Ability to work in wet, humid areas.
•May work near moving mechanical parts and may be exposed to electrical shock, fumes, airborne particles and vibration.
•Ability to work well with others in stressful situations and meet deadlines as necessary
•The Quality Technician must be flexible in the hours and days that they work and be available for weekend work as deemed necessary by the Company.

Physical Requirements:
•Reaching with hands/arms throughout the day.
•Ability to use hands and fingers.
•Ability to see, hear and talk.
•Lift/carry up to 25 lbs.
•Ability to work in light to moderate noise levels; hearing protection may be required.
•Able to walk up to 400 yards to work areas.
•Stand eight hours per day.
•Occasional reaching over head, under and across throughout the day
•May climb steps to and from work and break areas.
•Ability to work in a fast paced environment in close proximity to others.
•Ability to distinguish colors.
•Ability to work in variable temperatures and weather conditions.
•Occasional bending, stooping and twisting throughout the day

Minimum Qualifications:
•Two-year college degree in business or related field or combination of education and experience; four-year college degree preferred.
•Three (3) - five (5) years of Food Safety / Quality Assurance experience in a manufacturing environment; Bakery experience a plus.
•Proficient in MS Office applications such as Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
•Excellent communication, decision-making and organizational skills.
•Strong self-confidence and leadership skills.