Food Safety QA Specialist

Barry Callebaut Group; St. Albans (VT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

12 paid holidays

Generous PTO

Flexible work environment

Inclusive culture

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer in St. Albans, VT is seeking a Food Safety QA Specialist. This role focuses on developing and maintaining food safety programs in compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate will manage audits, ensure training for staff, and foster a culture of food safety within the organization. Competitive salary and benefits are offered, along with opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or related field.
• 5+ years in Food Quality and/or Food Safety including auditing preferred.
• Thorough technical knowledge of quality & food safety including HACCP, GMP.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the organization's QMS.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, FDA, and USDA standards.
• Conduct regular audits of the QMS and related processes.

Skills

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Teamwork

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Education

B.S. in a food safety discipline

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Food Safety QA Specialist at Barry Callebaut Group. Location: St. Albans, VT. Reporting to: Sr. Quality Manager. The role focuses on developing, implementing, and maintaining food safety programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, creating a culture of food safety within operations, conducting training for staff, and ensuring that all food safety practices meet or exceed industry standards. This position will manage GFSI requirements and multiple customer food safety requirements for the site.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain the organization's QMS to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards (e.g., ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, GMP).


• Develop, implement, and manage food safety and quality policies and procedures, based on global input.


• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, including HACCP, FDA, and USDA standards; stay informed of industry regulations, standards, and best practices, ensuring that the organization meets all necessary compliance requirements.


• Develop and deliver training programs for employees on quality assurance, food safety practices, compliance standards, and relevant regulations.


• Conduct regular audits of the QMS and related processes to ensure effectiveness and compliance.


• Conduct regular audits and inspections of food handling and storage practices.


• Coordinate the successful completion of external audits and implementation of food safety certifications.


• Responsible for BC quality and food safety internal audits and food safety and quality internal audits.


• Foster a culture of quality, food safety and compliance throughout the organization.


• Develop and maintain procedures and work instructions.


• Identify potential quality/food safety risks and develop mitigation strategies.


• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure quality and compliance are integrated into operations.


• Communicate quality and compliance issues and improvements to senior management and stakeholders.


• Ensure all documents are managed under document control procedure at factory level.


• Collaborate with production and quality assurance teams to identify and mitigate food safety risks.


• Provide scientific and technical food safety and microbiological support to the site to ensure product safety and quality, through risk assessment, program development and training.


• Investigate food safety incidents and implement corrective actions as necessary.


• Conduct regular food safety audits.


• Review sanitation KPIs and provide guidance on improving sanitation/food safety program controls.


• Lead cross-functional teams to improve food safety practices and culture within the organization.


• Ensure CCP/OPRP validations are conducted regularly and meet all requirements; ensure allergen validations are conducted regularly.


• Coordinate with pest control vendors to ensure effective pest management strategies are in place; train staff on GMP, pest management, and hygiene standards.


• Maintain accurate records of GMP compliance and pest management activities, including inspections and corrective actions taken.


• Plan, coordinate, and implement quality and food safety programs; identify and communicate food safety risks to site, providing actionable advice and updating existing programs.


• SItch and implement changes in working conditions and equipment to increase food safety and efficiency across departments.


• Conduct validation studies and risk assessments to determine critical limits for critical processes and collaborate with internal and external resources to update/maintain procedures; include responsibility to validate HACCP program.


• Perform all other related duties as requested.

What you bring

• B.S. in a food safety discipline (Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Science or related field).


• 5+ years’ experience in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology or related field; 5+ years in Food Quality and/or Food Safety including auditing preferred.


• Thorough technical knowledge of quality & food safety including HACCP, GMP, Pathogen Environmental Monitoring and Facility/Equipment Design.


• HACCP certification program design and implementation.


• Global Food Safety Institute practitioner or certified auditor preferred.


• Strong written and verbal communication, analytical ability, leadership, and teamwork skills.


• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SAP.


• Physical ability to climb stairs, bend, stand, kneel, and move about the factory; tolerance for extreme temperatures.

What you can expect from Barry Callebaut

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.


• 12 paid holidays, generous PTO, plus your birthday off.


• Flexible work environment.


• Inclusive culture; we call it #OneBC; diversity initiatives.


• Opportunities for personal and professional growth.


• Contributing to Forever Chocolate sustainability priorities.