Food Safety - QA Technician I

South Mill Champs Mushrooms; Kennett Square (Chester County); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

South Mill Champs Mushrooms is seeking an entry-level Processing FSQA Technician I to support the facility's food safety and quality programs on the production floor, performing monitoring and verification activities to ensure compliance with regulatory and internal standards.

Responsibilities include document review, sample collection, GMP verification, audits support, and training of staff, with emphasis on bilingual English/Spanish communication and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• High school diploma preferred.
• 1+ years of experience in a food manufacturing or quality environment preferred.
• Basic understanding of food safety, HACCP, and GMPs.
• Strong attention to detail and good communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment on the production floor.
• Experience in teaching/training adults helpful.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine food safety and quality checks on the production floor, including temperature verification, metal detection, labeling, shelf-life studies, and foreign material controls.
• Monitor the effectiveness of food safety and quality checks completed by all South Mill employees.
• Collect microbiological and environmental samples in support of the EMP.
• Verify compliance with GMPs and escalate deviations to FSQA leadership.
• Support internal audits by performing assigned inspection tasks, documenting observations, generating work orders / corrective actions, and providing feedback to responsible areas.
• Maintain SOPs and ensure accuracy of procedures.
• Conduct cleaning verification using ATP swabs and record results accurately.
• Assist in coordinating and carrying out trainings for all employees including but not limited to annual refresher, new hire, quality standards, and customer requirement trainings.
• Assist the FSQA team in preparing for and assisting with 3rd party audits.
• Coordinate Team 1 Food Safety Audits of all Production Areas.
• Maintain the Food Safety documents and ensure accurate completion of all required checklists and logs; report any discrepancies promptly.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area in compliance with safety and sanitation standards.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Public speaking

Bilingual English/Spanish

Independent work

Training others

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

The Processing FSQA Technician I is an entry-level role responsible for supporting the facility’s food safety and quality programs by performing hands‑on monitoring and verification activities on the production floor. This individual ensures compliance with regulatory, customer, and internal standards related to food safety, sanitation, and product quality. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to document review, microbiological sampling, validation of quality checks, internal audits, understanding standard operating procedures, and training.

Qualifications And Education Requirements

• High school graduate preferred
• 1+ years of experience in a food manufacturing or quality environment preferred.
• Basic understanding of food safety, HACCP, and GMPs.
• Strong attention to detail and good communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, including extended periods on the production floor.
• Experience in teaching / training adults helpful.

Role And Responsibilities

• Perform routine food safety and quality checks on the production floor, including temperature verification, metal detection, labeling, shelf-life studies, and foreign material controls.
• Monitor the effectiveness of food safety and quality checks completed by all South Mill employees.
• Collect microbiological and environmental samples in support of the facility’s Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP).
• Verify compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and escalate any deviations to FSQA leadership.
• Support internal audits by performing assigned inspection tasks, documenting observations, generating work orders / corrective actions, and providing feedback to responsible areas.
• Standard Operating Procedures: Understand all SOPs, identify gaps that require procedures, and maintain accuracy of all current procedures.
• Conduct cleaning verification using ATP swabs and record results accurately.
• Assist in coordinating and carrying out trainings for all employees including but not limited to annual refresher, new hire, quality standards, and customer requirement trainings.
• Assist the FSQA team in preparing for and assisting with 3rd party audits.
• Coordinate and carry out Team 1 Food Safety Audits of all Production Areas.
• Maintain the Food Safety documents and ensure accurate completion of all required checklists and logs; report any discrepancies promptly.Assist with document collection, filing, review under direction from the FSQA Supervisor.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area in compliance with safety and sanitation standards.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with computers, in the use of Microsoft Office and Excel.
• Good verbal and written ability in English and Spanish.
• Ability to function well in team environment.
• Strong public speaking ability, especially in teaching adult learners.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail.

Job Demands

NOTE: The following job demands represent the basic knowledge, skill and/or ability necessary to perform this job successfully. The job duties found below are not the only tasks required for the job. You may be assigned other duties and tasks as well. A candidate for this position must be able to meet the minimum demands as listed below and sign the affirmation below indicating the same.

Physical Demands

• Always required to speak and comprehend English, Spanish or both. Bi-lingual is a plus.
• Always required to sit, stand or walk.
• Always required to see with or without corrective lenses.
• Frequently required to utilize fine motor coordination in hands and arms.
• Frequently required to lift up to 10 pounds; occasionally required to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Occasionally required to balance, stoop or crouch.
• Occasionally required to climb stairs.

Work Environment

• Always required to act professionally.
• Always required to work in a produce cooler for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally exposed to hazardous conditions requiring personal protective equipment.

Cognitive Skills

• Always required to think, evaluate and make decisions.
• Occasionally required to analyze, study, compare and report.