Quality Assurance Technician

Reed; Seaham; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Reed is seeking a QA Technician to support the Quality Assurance Supervisor in maintaining Food Safety, Quality Systems and Product Quality across the site. You will help ensure compliance with internal, customer and third-party requirements and promote a strong Quality Culture.

The role involves verification of production processes, sample testing, and actioning root causes with the production team. You will work on traceability, calibration, and record-keeping on a predominantly dry, warm shop

Qualifications

• Education in Food Science or equivalent is required.
• Minimum Level 3 Hygiene certification.
• Basic Health and Safety knowledge.
• Understanding of HACCP principles.
• Experience with internal auditing and handling confidential information.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong command of English.

Responsibilities

• Carry out verification and monitoring of the production process according to the Quality and Food Safety Plan.
• Conduct sample collection, testing, and corrective action for shelf life monitoring, microbiological and chemical testing, and organoleptic assessments.
• Act as a Quality and Food Safety Champion, maintaining GMP/GLP and communicating issues to reduce customer complaints.
• Ensure traceability and complete accurate, legible records throughout production.
• Investigate customer complaints, identify root causes, and implement preventive actions with the production team.
• Verify equipment according to Calibration Plan and maintain legible records; report out-of-tolerance equipment.
• Ensure QA/production records are verified and easily retrievable at all times.

Skills

Auditing experience

English proficiency

GMP/GLP awareness

MS Office proficiency

Quality culture promotion

Education

Food Science or equivalent

Level 3 Hygiene certification

Basic Health & Safety knowledge

HACCP principles

Internal auditing experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

QA Technician

• Location: Seaham
• Job Type: Full-time

We are seeking a QA Technician to assist the Quality Assurance Supervisor in maintaining, verifying, and monitoring the Food Safety, Quality Systems, and Product Quality within our business. This role is crucial for meeting internal, customer, and third-party requirements and promoting a Quality Culture within the company.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Carry out verification and monitoring of the production process according to the Quality and Food Safety Plan.
• Conduct sample collection, testing, and relevant corrective action for Shelf life monitoring, Microbiological and Chemical Testing, and Organoleptic Assessments, ensuring results are recorded appropriately.
• Act as a Quality and Food Safety Champion, maintaining high levels of GMP and GLP, communicating potential issues effectively, and working with the production team to reduce customer complaints.
• Ensure traceability throughout the production process and complete accurate, legible records.
• Investigate customer complaints thoroughly, identify Root Causes, and collaborate with the production team to implement preventive actions.
• Verify equipment according to the Calibration Plan, maintain neat legible records, and report equipment out of tolerance.
• Ensure that Production and QA records are verified and easily retrievable at all times.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Education in Food Science or equivalent.
• Minimum Level 3 Hygiene certification.
• Basic Health and Safety knowledge.
• Understanding of HACCP principles.
• Experience in internal auditing and working with confidential information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong command of English.

Working Conditions:

• Fast-moving, highly automated environment based on the shop floor with some laboratory and administration tasks.
• Mainly a dry warm environment, but some areas can be cold. Awareness of noise pollution and various manufacturing hazards is necessary.
• The role requires long periods of work unsupervised and under own initiative.

Challenges:

• Managing multiple tasks and maintaining quality standards even during frequent line issues, such as problems with metal detectors.
• Demonstrating versatility in handling a wide range of tasks including raw material testing, analytical testing, quality and food safety monitoring, and more.
• Implementing root cause and preventive actions effectively within time constraints.

Working Relationships & Contacts:

• Internal: Production, NPD (New Product Development), Warehouse, Hygiene.
• External: Customers, external laboratories, Suppliers.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a supportive environment.