Quality Assurance Technician

Ornua Co-operative Limited; Ireland; On-site; EUR 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dairy co-operative is seeking a Quality Assurance Technician to ensure food safety and quality compliance in their manufacturing facility. The role involves monitoring plant hygiene, conducting analytical tests on raw materials and finished products, and addressing non-conformances. Candidates should have a degree in Food Science and 6-12 months of experience in a relevant field. A flexible attitude and strong problem-solving skills are essential. This position is based in Ireland and involves a rotating shift pattern.

Qualifications

• HACCP Trained (desirable).
• 6-12 months experience in Technical / Quality Assurance / Manufacturing / Laboratory role ideally dairy.
• Ability to work well individually and integrate well with the operations team.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that food safety and quality of all finished products produced on shift is maintained.
• Monitor plant hygiene and carry out visual checks.
• Conduct analytical tests on raw materials and finished products.

Skills

Problem solver

Ability to work to deadlines

IT literate

Flexible and committed attitude

Education

Certificate, Diploma or Degree in Food Science

Job description

Ornua is a dairy co-operative which sells dairy products on behalf of its members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. It is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has annualised sales of over €3.5 billion and a global team of 3,000 employees.

Ornua is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients. We operate from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities, and have sales and marketing teams working in-market across the globe in Africa, Asia, Germany, Ireland, the Middle East, Spain, the UK, and the US.

You may know us by our brands Kerrygold, Dubliner, Pilgrim’s Choice, Avantage, Forto, and BEO.

At Ornua, our Values lie at the core of everything that we do and how we behave both individually and as a business. Our five values, and their underlying behaviours, encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care and Achieve Great Things Together.

At Ornua, our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business. We care passionately about driving sustainable, profitable growth, underpinned by our ambitious ‘Path to Prosper’ strategy. We have delivered significant growth in our core business, and we have ambitious plans for continued growth over the next five years.

The Quality Assurance Technician plays a pivotal role in ensuring the food safety, quality, and compliance of finished products within a manufacturing facility. Collaborating closely with operations, maintenance, and quality teams, the incumbent ensures adherence to HACCP standards, operational procedures, and work instructions. Responsibilities span from monitoring and maintaining plant hygiene to conducting analytical tests on raw materials and finished products. The role involves addressing non-conformances, coordinating with suppliers, and actively participating in audits. Training and competency checks for personnel, handling non-conformances, and supporting Health & Safety initiatives are integral aspects of this position. The Quality Assurance Technician acts as a crucial link in maintaining product specifications and customer satisfaction while contributing to continuous improvement and problem-solving within the production environment.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Work with the operations and maintenance teams to ensure that the food safety and quality of all finished products produced on shift is maintained, ensuring that HACCP is fully implemented, and procedures and work instructions are always fully adhered to.
• Responsibility for ensuring that food safety and quality of finished product meets agreed product specifications.
• Responsibility for ensuring that all records are completed correctly on shift.
• Responsibility for ensuring that plant hygiene always meets and exceeds Department of Agriculture, BRC and customer requirements.
• Responsibility for ensuring that the plant is cleaned to the correct standard after scheduled cleaning by doing visual checks, ATP swabbing and micro swabbing.
• Work closely with shift operations team and maintenance to deal with non-conformances as they arise, work as part of the team to drive identification of root cause, preventive actions and close out of non-conformances. Keep a record of all factory non-conformances on shift.
• Responsibility for dealing with any supplier non-conformances as they arise on shift and gathering information for the quality coordinator.
• Responsibility for training and competency checks for production and maintenance personnel on shift for CCPs and quality procedures. Responsibility for keeping training versatility charts for CCPs and quality procedures for personnel on shift.
• Responsibility for passing raw materials such as cream and bulk butter as it arrives on site by carrying out various analytical methods in the laboratory.
• Responsibility for passing buttermilk when it is ready to be dispatched by carrying out various analytical methods in the laboratory.
• Support site during Department of Agriculture, BRC and customer audits.
• Assist the quality team as required with customer complaints, specification updates, product trials etc.
• Support site Health & Safety initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Certificate, Diploma or Degree in Food Science / Science / Quality / Nutritional disciplines.
• HACCP Trained (desirable)
• 6-12 months experience in Technical / Quality Assurance / Manufacturing / Laboratory role ideally dairy, however food or beverage may be considered.
• Working knowledge of BRC (or equivalent) and retail standards in a production facility is desirable.
• Ability to work to deadlines and work under pressure.
• Problem solver, disciplined in collecting information and supporting root cause investigation for non-conformances.
• Flexible and committed attitude with the ability to display initiative.
• The ability to work well individually and integrate well with the operations team.
• IT literate with strong Word, Excel and database skills.
• Drive to learn and interest in food, quality, and science.
• Flexibility to work on a rotating shift pattern over both days and night.

OUR COMPETENCIES:

• Ownership: Clarifies accountabilities, overlaps and gaps, and helps others remain motivated through difficult times.
• Working Together: Encourages co-operation in own team and supports cross functional learning.
• Communicative: Communicates confidently, adapting style for different situations
• Expertise: For projects that involves others applies effective professional skills, analysis and decision making, planning, and reviewing.

CLOSING DATE: 11th Sep 2025