Quality Technician

*About Us:* Gathered Foods is an innovative food company focused on propelling change through plant-based alternatives.
United by a love of good food, plant-based eating and animal welfare, Gathered Foods is on a mission to raise consciousness, reduce harm and preserve environmental resources, all while delivering a great culinary experience.
The team is dedicated to creating crave worthy plant-based foods for everyone, from vegan to omnivore and everybody in between.
We eat crazy ideas for breakfast.
Then we spend our days inventing and launching new food products that no one has thought of before.
But we do not take ourselves too seriously, because what we do goes way beyond the idea of work – or even the idea of fun – it is an absolute thrill.
We are helping break through to a new global, sustainable diet that makes everyone’s lives better – human and animal.
From our brands to our people, we gather the good stuff.
*Summary of Job Description:* This position is responsible for participating in all activities conducted by the Quality Department as assigned by the Quality Manager and will strive to ensure food safety, food quality and employee safety.
The QA technician will strive to follow all principles pertinent to the position as specified by the Company.
*Responsibilities:* · Prioritize food quality and safety through the vigilant application of company GMP's (Good Manufacturing Practices).
· Utilize all PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) necessary for the assigned job and to relay concerns to supervision.
Perpetuate a "Safety First " culture.
· Support quality assurance manager in maintaining and promoting food safety and food quality culture in the facility.
· Collaborate with operation teams to identify and resolve quality issues during production.
· Perform a variety of routine tasks and functions to ensure compliance with regulatory and customer food safety and quality requirements.
Example of the tasks but not limited to: o Collect product samples for retains, sensory and 3rd party testing.
o Perform sensory evaluation on finished products.
o Verify instrument and equipment calibration.
o Perform pH, sodium and/or moisture testing on product samples as needed.
o Conduct plant operations inspections and pre-operational inspections.
o Execute the swabbing and samples collection as outline in the environmental program.
o Complete food quality and food safety checks during production.
o Ensure accurate documentation, recordkeeping, and maintenance of documents.
o Support investigations into any deviations and participate in corrective and preventative action implementation with cross functional teams when required.
o Create, review, organize, distribute, and revise standard operating procedures, policies, forms, and production line records when required.
o Participate in continuous improvement projects or customer/R&D trials when assigned by quality assurance manager.
o Assist in training and enforcement of plant quality programs/policies when required.
o Assist in conducting quality-related cross functional team meetings when required.
o Assist in preparation for and participation in regulatory and customer audits when required.
o Monitor conditions of ingredients, material receipt, storage, and usage.
o Maintain communication with other departments, management and employees and notify them of any problems and/or concerns that may restrict the efficiency of production.
o Other duties as assigned.
*Experience and Skills:* * Minimum College Degree in microbiology, food science, or related field.
* Working knowledge of HACCP (Hazard Analysis/Critical Control Point), BRCGS, and other food quality and safety systems, preferred.
* Minimum 1 year of quality assurance experience in food manufacturing.
* PCQI certified preferred.
* Familiarity with Microsoft Office.
* Articulate verbal and written communication skills.
* Willingness to work in a temperature-controlled cold manufacturing environment.
* Ability to work flexible first shift (pre-op) hours including overtime – start time may vary.
* Strong attention to detail and able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
* Ability to work 75% of time on the production floor and 25% of time at desk/in lab.
* Ability to collaborate with other employees and understand the importance of teamwork.
* Ability to adapt in changing priorities.
*This position may have start times as early as 4:00 am EST.
* _At Gathered Foods we recognize, respect and value the contributions of each employee, and we strive to cultivate a work environment that strikes a balance between our professional and personal lives.
Our core values guide us to seek out a broad range of perspectives, talent, and backgrounds to achieve our mission; one where all staff contribute to and share our success.
We are committed to diversity, and as an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.
_ Job Type: Full-time Pay: From $20.
00 per hour Expected hours: 40 – 45 per week Benefits: * 401(k) * 401(k) matching * Dental insurance * Health insurance * Life insurance * Paid time off * Vision insurance Experience level: * 1 year * No experience needed Schedule: * 8 hour shift Work setting: * Food Processing Plant * In-person Work Location: In person