Associate, Food Safety & Quality

Thistle Health Inc.; Vacaville (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Thistle Health Inc. seeks a Food Safety & Quality Associate to perform standardized food safety and quality control checks, calibrate equipment, and ensure compliance with GMP and HACCP standards.

You will train teams, support QC leads, and maintain thorough records in a fast-paced production environment. The role requires 2-3 years in food safety/quality, a valid Food Handler Certification, and strong communication to balance empathy with standards.

Qualifications

• AA degree in food safety & quality management or a related field.
• 2-3 years of experience as a Food Safety Specialist or Quality Technician in a food manufacturing environment required.
• Valid Food Handler Certification for state working in.
• Desire to grow into leadership positions and develop leadership skills.
• Strong communication skills and ability to balance empathy with direct feedback.

Responsibilities

• Follow GMPs and train receiving teams on safety and QC procedures.
• Support QCs/leads in day-to-day food safety checks per preventive controls.
• Work with production line QCs to ensure complete record keeping.
• Assist with training on manufacturing equipment and sanitation programs.
• Verify adherence to Preventive Controls, CCPs, Allergen, and sanitation programs.
• Conduct internal audits and submit audit reports within timelines.

Skills

GMP compliance

Quality control

Record keeping

HACCP knowledge

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Associate degree in Food Safety & Quality Management

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Thermometers

pH meters

Scales

Audit software

Job description

TITLE: Food Safety & Quality Associate (FSQA Associate)DEPARTMENT: Quality AssuranceREPORTS TO: Supervisor,Food Safety & Quality AssuranceWho We AreThistle makes it easy to eat well – without overthinking it. Thistle was founded in 2013 with a mission to help people get and stay healthy while improving the sustainability of our food system. Thistle delivers fully prepared, healthy-by-default meals, snacks, desserts, and organic cold-pressed juices. We believe the health of people starts with eating real, whole foods, in the right balance, without the friction. We’re building a future where nutritious, sustainable food is accessible, craveable, and part of everyday life.About the RoleThe Food Safety & Quality Associate is responsible for performing standardized food safety and quality control checks to ensure that the products meet the required legal and company standards for safety and quality. This role is required to maintain calibrations, monitor equipment, check product integrity, and identify areas for quality control improvement.How You’ll Make a DifferenceFollow and implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).Train receiving teams on food safety and quality control procedures.Support Culinary QCs/leads in day-to-day food safety quality checks in adherence to preventive controls.Work closely with production line QCs/leads to ensure complete and accurate record keeping.Support production QCs/leads in day-to-day food safety quality checks and in adherence to preventive controls.Train production teams on food safety and quality control procedures.Assist with training, instruction, and support on all manufacturing equipment.Work closely with the sanitation team to implement the Master Sanitation ProgramVerify adherence to Preventive Controls, Processing Parameters, CCPs, Allergen, and Sanitation programsEnsure Quality Management Systems and Food Safety programs comply with the regulatory requirements and 3rd party food safety standards (local, state, federal, GMP, SQF)Ensure allergen program, allergen declaration per recipe, and labeling requirements are metConduct internal audits to monitor food safety quality, processes, facilities, and quality systems.Submit complete and accurate audit reports within established timelines.Monitor and verify day-to-day QA and Food Safety records.Help build out an internal auditing process & certification program.Conduct pre-operational line inspections and residual swabs.Calibrate critical equipment- thermometers, pH meters, scales, etc.Oversee Sanitation and environmental testing program.Additional duties that may be assignedWho You AreAA degree (Bachelor's preferred) in food Safety & quality management or a related field2-3 years of experience as a Food Safety Specialist or Quality Technician in a food manufacturing environment is required;Valid Food Handlers Certification for state working inDesire to grow into leadership positions and develop leadership skillsStrong communication skills that put people first and ability to balance empathy and direct feedback in order to both support and advocate for the team and also maintain consistent standards of performanceAbility to form effective working relationships with cross-functional teamsAbility to adhere to company SOPs and implement new initiatives as neededStrong analytical and mathematical skillsSolid understanding of HACCP requirements and food safety standardsExperience with writing and enforcing standard operating procedures (SOPs)Advanced organizational skills and excellent attention to detailExperience drafting reports and collating dataWillingness to work in noisy and/or cold environmentsComfortable standing or walking for long periods of timeUp-to-date knowledge of federal and industry standards and best practicesAdvanced computer and math skills to calibrate and measure specificationsOur CultureDiversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values at Thistle. We know we do our best and most impactful work when we feel we are represented and belong. We're proud to actively recruit and hire talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”), including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, citizenship, national origin, color, hairstyles, hair texture, religion or religious creed, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran or active military status, marital status, criminal record, genetics, retaliation, sexual harassment or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.