Quality Assurance Associate

KeHE Distributors; North East (MD); On-site; USD 46,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/Rx

Dental

Vision

FSA/HSA

401(k)

Paid time off

Paid sick time

STD/LTD coverage

ESOP

Holiday pay

Job summary

KeHE Distributors in Maryland is seeking a Quality Assurance Associate to support warehouse operations by validating order accuracy and ensuring food safety before products reach customers.

You will inspect trailers, pallets, cases, and totes, correct errors with leadership, and help protect the customer experience through root-cause analysis. This is a full-time role with benefits after 30 days and a $21.96 per hour pay rate, with a 2:00 PM shift and SU-TH days.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED required; additional training in quality, food safety, or warehouse operations is a plus.
• Experience: 1 year with a Warehouse Management System (WMS); preferred in food distribution, QA, inventory control, or clerking.

Responsibilities

• Validate outbound and inbound warehouse production by inspecting pallets, locations, cases, totes for accuracy.
• Perform quality checks on pallet construction and identify mispicks or structural issues.
• Correct errors by working with selectors to rebuild pallets and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure food safety and quality standards are met and document issues for root-cause analysis.

Skills

Attention to detail

Quality minded

Clear communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Quality/food safety training

Tools

WMS

MS Office

PIT equipment

Job description

Why Work for KeHE?

• Full-time
• Pay Range: $21.96/Hr. - $21.96/Hr.
• Shift Days: SU-TH, Shift Time: 2:00 PM
• Benefits after 30 days
  • Health/Rx
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
  • Supplemental life insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Paid time off
  • Paid sick time
  • Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
  • Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
  • Holiday pay for company designated holidays

Overview

Good people, working with good people, for our common good.

Sound good?

KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor-is all about "good" and is growing, so there's never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you're enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we'd love to talk to you!

Primary Responsibilities

The Quality Assurance Associate supports warehouse operations by validating order accuracy, pallet integrity, and food safety compliance before product reaches the customer. The role inspects trailers, locations, pallets, cases, and totes to ensure correct brands, varieties, counts, and proper pallet construction. When errors are identified, the associate works directly with leadership to correct issues and rebuild pallets as needed. This position plays a key role in protecting the customer experience, maintaining inventory integrity, and supporting root-cause analysis to reduce future errors. As with all positions at KeHE Distributors, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE’s Mission, Vision, and Values.

Essential Functions

DUTIES, TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Validate outbound and inbound warehouse production by inspecting trailers, locations, pallets, cases, and split-case totes to ensure correct brand, variety, quantity, and overall order accuracy.
• Perform quality control checks on pallet construction, identifying mispicks, misplaced cases, and structural issues that could impact product integrity or customer experience.
• Correct identified errors in real time by working directly with selectors to rebuild pallets and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure food safety and quality standards are met while documenting issues and supporting root-cause analysis to prevent repeat errors

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Working knowledge of WMS systems, inventory accuracy validation, pallet construction standards, food safety requirements, and basic LEAN concepts; proficient with MS Office and standard web-based tools
• Strong attention to detail, disciplined execution, schedule accountability, and the ability to communicate clearly while working independently with minimal supervision.
• Driven by pride in accuracy, protecting the customer experience, maintaining food safety, and resolving issues at the source rather than passing defects forward
• Analytical problem-solving skills, physical capability to safely restack pallets and operate PIT equipment, adaptability to changing processes, and the ability to support root-cause analysis through observation and documentation

Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Education: High School Diploma or GED required; additional training in quality, food safety, or warehouse operations is a plus.
• Experience: Minimum of one (1) year working with a Warehouse Management System (WMS), with preferred experience in food distribution, quality assurance, inventory control, or clerking roles.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Physical Activity: Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, climb as required, and work safely in a fast-paced warehouse environment.
• Lifting & Handling: Must be able to safely carry, lift, push, and/or move product weighing up to 50 pounds, including rebuilding and restacking pallets.
• Equipment & Environment: Ability to safely operate powered industrial trucks (PIT) and work in temperature-controlled environments ranging from -10°F to ambient, with exposure to varying indoor and outdoor conditions.

Equal Employer Opportunity Statement

KeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.