Product Quality Specialists

Blount Fine Foods Corp.; Warren (RI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & vision

401(k) match

Paid time off

Education assistance

Life Insurance

Short-term disability

Employee discounts

Job summary

Blount Fine Foods, a family-owned manufacturer of premium fresh prepared foods, seeks a Supplier Quality Specialist to manage supplier materials and quality documentation. You will oversee certifications and conduct technical reviews of safety programs, ensuring FSMA, FDA, and GMP compliance across multiple suppliers and facilities.

The role involves leading CAPA investigations, coordinating audits, and supporting continuous improvement in quality systems and supplier management practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in food science, biology, chemistry, or microbiology.
• Working knowledge of FDA, USDA, GMP, HACCP, and food allergens.
• HACCP and PCQI certification preferred.
• Knowledgeable of GFSI audit schemes.
• Strong organization and communication skills.
• Highly organized, collaborative, and self-motivated individuals.

Responsibilities

• Manage supplier management system (Safety Chain) setup for items and suppliers.
• Conduct technical reviews of food safety documentation (COAs, allergen statements, flow diagrams, HACCP) per FSMA.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, GMPs and relevant requirements.
• Lead supplier CAPA, root cause, and risk assessment discussions and follow-up.
• Coordinate on-site and remote supplier audits; review findings and corrective actions.

Skills

Food safety knowledge

Organization

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in food science, biology, chemistry, or microbiology

HACCP and PCQI certification preferred

GFSI audit schemes knowledge

Job description

Bringing our love of food to families for five generations! Blount Fine Foods is a family-owned and operated manufacturer, marketer, and developer of premium fresh prepared foods. We are an engaging team, bringing restaurant-quality products to America including single-serve grab-n-go fresh soups, mac & cheese, and entrées in grocery stores across the country, as well as for hot bars and restaurants. Help us create the finest food experiences including those with specialty certifications that include organic, gluten-free, and low sodium, among others. Join a proven team for growth, success, and a satisfying career!

Summary:

The Supplier Quality Specialist will manage the supplier management system (Safety Chain). This includes setting up items and suppliers in the system and requesting documents. The specialist will update and manage the department’s trackers for raw material approvals and supplier complaints.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage multiple raw material categories and act as the main quality contact for assigned suppliers, handling day-to-day food safety and quality issues.
• Independently manage and approve raw material suppliers by conducting comprehensive technical reviews of food safety documentation, including COAs, allergen statements, process flow diagrams, HACCP plans, in line with FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements.
• Ensuring suppliers comply with FDA requirements/regulations, 21CFR preventive controls for Human Food, GMPs and applicable USDA requirements when relevant.
• Lead supplier non-conformances investigation when materials do not meet specifications. Including technical review meetings, risk discussions, and corrective action follow-ups. Facilitate technical review meetings with cross-functional and multi-site teams including Quality, R&D, Procurement, Operations, Regulatory to assess impact, determine root cause, and evaluate risk to production and customers. Review, assess, and approve supplier CAPA responses, ensuring corrective actions are sustainable, and compliant with FDA, USDA, GMP, and GFSI standards and driving CAPA closure within 30–60 days on average.
• Coordinate and participate in on-site and remote supplier audits, including audit preparation, execution, documentation review, and follow-up on audit findings under GFSI-recognized food safety schemes such as SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000, and follow up on corrective actions.
• Support warehouse and internal audits, responding to 20+ document requests per audit cycle related to supplier traceability and compliance
• Supporting multiple manufacturing plants with supplier quality oversight and issue resolution within the company.
• Perform raw material and supplier risk assessments, considering factors such as ingredient risk, allergen exposure, supplier history, and process controls, as required under FSMA risk-based supply chain programs
• Contribute to the drafting and revision of corporate FSQA policies, SOPs, and work instructions, supporting continuous improvement.
• Independently prioritizing workload, managing multiple suppliers, and ensuring continuity of food safety operations across multiple facilities.
• Develop, review, and manage raw material shelf-life programs to ensure compliance with internal quality standards and regulatory requirements. Partner with Quality, R&D, and Supply Chain teams to assess risk associated with expired or aging materials and implement disposition strategies. Maintain accurate documentation and ensure alignment between internal systems and supplier-declared shelf-life information.
• Support manufacturing sites and Customer Service teams in investigating customer complaints linked to vendor-supplied raw materials. Coordinate communication with suppliers to obtain technical insights, supporting documentation, and corrective actions. Provide clear investigation summaries and risk assessments to internal stakeholders to support timely and effective customer response.
• Review, and maintain raw material specifications internally for the company to ensure alignment with product requirements, regulatory standards, and operational capabilities. Conduct regular specification comparisons between internal requirements and supplier specifications to identify gaps, inconsistencies, or outdated parameters. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement specification changes through formal change control processes and ensure proper documentation within quality management systems.

Responsibilities for Food Safety and Quality:

• Responsible for completing required paperwork accurately and honestly, where applicable.
• Must adhere to posted GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) when working within the production facility.
• Responsible for reporting suspicious packages, activities and individuals, where applicable.
• If monitoring CCPs (Critical Control Points), must be trained in HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and adhere to approved HACCP plan(s).
• Oversees the execution of validation and verification activities for food safety programs.
• Monitor and enforce quality control points using control charts and culinary ability.
• Monitor and carry-out various batch control tests and product sampling to ensure process is in control.
• Quality systems development and management.
• Specification development, approval and review with R&D or Culinary Assurance.
• Sensory evaluation of key ingredients and attributes.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) analysis of key analytical data.
• Continuous improvement projects both individually and as a member of a team.
• Log data and report trends using information gathered.
• Communicate any continuous improvement opportunities to Process Engineering.

Experience/Education:

• Bachelor’s or higher in food science, biology, chemistry, or microbiology
• Working knowledge of FDA, USDA, GMP, HACCP, and food allergens
• HACCP and PCQI certification preferred.
• Knowledgeable of GFSI audit schemes
• Needs strong organization and communication skills.
• Highly organized, collaborative, and self-motivated individuals

Our Total Compensation Package Includes:

• Medical, dental and vision benefits.
• 401k with Company match.
• Paid time off including vacation, sick time and holidays.
• Education Assistance Program.
• Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability.
• Discounts on Blount products at Company retail location.