QA Coordinator

Barbell Foods; Canberra; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Barbell Foods is seeking a QA Coordinator to own floor-based quality verification from incoming materials to finished product testing, ensuring compliance with SQF, HACCP and export standards. You will balance hands-on checks on the production floor with desk-based documentation, reporting to the Head of Quality Assurance and collaborating closely with production.

The role requires 1–3 years in QA in food manufacturing, HACCP awareness training, and a proactive, detail-oriented approach to

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in QA within food manufacturing.
• Experience with floor-based inspections and compliance verification.
• HACCP awareness training or willingness to obtain within 3 months.
• Familiarity with HACCP/SQF-based quality systems.
• Export experience in meat advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Run daily floor-based quality verifications and document results.
• Raise non-conformances and corrective actions via QMS.
• Assist with batch traceability and product testing coordination.
• Support internal and external audits and maintain audit-ready records.
• Collaborate with production to prevent non-conformances.

Skills

Floor-based QA

HACCP knowledge

SQF familiarity

On-floor verification

QMS documentation

Audits coordination

Attention to detail

Proactive issue raising

Education

HACCP training

Tools

QMS platform

Job description

This is a floor and desk-based role — you'll spend half of your day in the production facility, half behind a desk.

Who should apply

Candidates with hands-on experience in food safety or quality assurance within a food manufacturing environment — meat, protein or similar FMCG production is a strong plus. You're comfortable being on the floor for most of the day, you know your way around HACCP/SQF-style checks (or can pick them up fast), and you don't let a check slide just because production is under pressure to keep the line moving.

Who shouldn't apply

Candidates who want a desk-only QA role, who avoid raising issues with production because it's uncomfortable, or who see documentation as optional when things get busy. If a check gets missed and you're tempted to just sign it off — this isn't the role for you.

Why join Barbell Foods

We make no bullsh#t meat snacks for people who care about their health. Quality and food safety aren't a side function here — they're core to the product and the brand. As QA Coordinator, you'll be the eyes and ears on the floor that keep our SQF, HACCP and export compliance genuinely solid, not just paperwork-deep.

The Role

As QA Coordinator, you'll own the day-to-day, floor-based quality verification that keeps Barbell compliant — from incoming raw material checks through to finished product testing, batch traceability and customer complaint coordination. You'll report directly to the Head of Quality Assurance, working closely with production to catch and correct issues before they become non-conformances.

Working half of your day is on the floor. Half of it is at a desk, logging checks in the QMS platform and verifying batch records against what actually happened on the line.

Key Responsibilities

• Run daily compliance checks verifications— cleaning/hygiene, labelling, pre-ops and/or end-of-day checks verification — and raise non-conformances and corrective actions through QMS platform.
• Non-conformance handling including customer complaints. Investigation, root cause analysis and corrective actions
• Monitor and verify the drying process (water activity testing), flagging deviations or trends to the Head of Quality Assurance.
• Test finished product every day — thickness, cut, dry test
• Verify weight, label and seal accuracy every day.
• Run cleaning validation using the monitoring device every day.
• Coordinate monthly environmental swabs and water/product sampling
• Verify batch sheets and traceability records against the floor
• Support the Head of Quality Assurance in preparing for and conducting internal and external audits.
• Maintain audit-ready records and follow up on corrective actions.
• Coordinate with relevant departments during the audit process.
• Manage audits with minimal assistance when the Head of Quality Assurance is unavailable.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Experience

• 1–3 years in a QA, food safety, or quality inspection role within food manufacturing
• Experience conducting floor-based inspections and compliance verification
• Food safety / HACCP awareness training (required, or willingness to obtain within first 3 months)
• Familiarity with HACCP/SQF-based quality systems
• Experience with exporting meat would be advantageous.
• Attention to detail and comfort with repetitive, disciplined verification routines
• Working knowledge of QMS platform
• Confidence raising non-conformances and holding the line on standards
• Hands-on — you're on the floor, not just at a desk
• Consistent — you don't skip a check because you're busy
• Direct — you raise issues early, not once they've become a bigger problem
• Reliable — production and the Head of Quality Assurance can count on your checks being done right, every time

THE OPPORTUNITY

Barbell is growing fast, and our QA function is growing with it. This is a genuine opportunity to build a career in food safety and quality within a business that's serious about compliance and export growth — with a clear path to more responsibility as we scale.

If you have any questions about the role, please email ****@barbellfoods.com.au.