Quality Assurance Lead - Weekend Day Shift

Utz Brands, Inc.; Kings Mountain (NC); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Utz Quality Foods in Kings Mountain, NC is seeking a Quality Assurance Technician Lead to guide a QA team and ensure food safety and quality across daily operations.

The role includes hands-on testing, oversight of sanitation programs, audits, and training of QA Technicians and production staff in a fast-paced facility.

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills across all levels and departments.
• Solid math ability and strict safety mindset for handling chemicals and test samples.
• Experience with QA or food safety and comfort leading/coaching others.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-process and finished product testing with accurate documentation.
• Verify sanitation and equipment effectiveness via pre-op inspections and ATP testing.
• Identify non-conformances, hold products when needed, investigate root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Maintain calibration of lab equipment and ensure stocked supplies.
• Generate daily and monthly audits to verify GMP and sanitation compliance.
• Train, mentor, and provide technical support to QA Technicians and production staff.
• Set up, calibrate, and maintain QA testing equipment.
• Coordinate testing of purchased products and manage inbound testing records.
• Enter QA attribute data into databases, track trends, and report results to management.
• Interact with vendors/equipment reps on compliance issues and complaints.
• Oversee SQF, Organic, NGMP, GFCO programs and support third-party audits.
• Audit QA SOPs and recommend improvements.
• Ensure shift coverage and arrange replacements during absences.

Skills

Communication

Math

Safety awareness

Organizational skills

Teamwork

Computer skills

Leadership

Training

Job description

Are you passionate about food safety and quality? Do you have an eye for detail and the leadership skills to guide a team in a fast-paced environment? If so, Utz Quality Foods wants you to join our team as a Quality Assurance Technician Lead at our King’s Mountain, NC manufacturing facility!

In this role, you’ll perform product testing and inspections while leading and supporting the QA team to ensure our products meet the highest standards of food safety and quality. You’ll be hands‑on in daily operations while also overseeing training, equipment, compliance programs, and audits.

Rotating Work Schedule

• Week 1: Friday to Sunday, 6:00 AM–6:30 PM
• Week 2: Thursday to Sunday, 6:00 AM–6:30 PM (Schedule repeats weekly)

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-process and finished product quality control tests, documenting results accurately.
• Verify sanitation effectiveness through pre-op inspections, equipment checks, and ATP testing.
• Identify and document non-conformance issues, place product on hold when necessary, investigate root causes, and support corrective actions.
• Maintain organization and calibration of lab equipment, ensuring supplies are fully stocked.
• Generate daily and monthly audits to confirm compliance with GMP and sanitation standards.
• Train, mentor, and provide technical support to QA Technicians and production associates.
• Set up, calibrate, and maintain existing and new testing equipment.
• Coordinate testing of purchased products, managing inbound testing records and reports.
• Enter QA attribute data into databases, track trends, and communicate results to management.
• Interact with vendors and equipment representatives regarding compliance issues and complaints.
• Oversee compliance programs such as SQF, Organic, NGMP, and GFCO, and assist with third‑party audits.
• Audit QA Standard Operating Procedures and recommend improvements.
• Ensure shift coverage, including arranging replacements during absences.

Requirements

• Strong communication skills - ability to collaborate with other departments both in person and in writing.
• Strong basic math skills and safety awareness when handling chemical solutions and test samples. Solid organizational, communication, and teamwork skills with the ability to work across all levels. Basic computer skills for entering, tracking, and analyzing quality data. Prior QA or food safety experience required; leadership or training experience strongly preferred. Mechanical aptitude helpful but not required.
• Willingness to wear non-slip shoes and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

External Recruitment Process

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Continuously Pursuing Excellence!

Here at Utz, we have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from high quality ingredients. After over a century with a strong family heritage, our diverse portfolio of brands includes Utz, Zapp’s, Boulder Canyon, and On the Border. Our associates are the reason for the success of this company, so it is important we provide a supportive, caring and inclusive environment that offers opportunities for career growth and advancement. We also help take care of our associates by providing benefits, resources, and programs that ensure they live their healthiest lives. Our full-time benefit package includes medical, dental, and vision plans, an employer match 401k, profit sharing plan, employee stock purchase plan and much more. Join our world class team and help us become the fastest growing pure‑play U.S. snacking company of scale!

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.