Quality Control - Lead

Always Fresh Farms LLC; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Always Fresh Farms LLC is seeking a Quality Control Lead to oversee daily QC operations in our packing and cold storage facilities in New York. You will manage QC inspectors, ensure product specs and customer requirements are met, and drive continuous improvement and food safety initiatives.

The role requires coordinating inspections, training staff, and maintaining GMPs, sanitation, and USDA standards while supporting disposition decisions and overseeing inventory rotation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2–5 years in fresh produce QA or related field.
• Knowledge of USDA Grade Standards and inspection procedures.
• Proficient in MS Office and QA software.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily activities of the quality control team.
• Assign inspections during receiving, shipping, rework and packing.
• Train and coach inspectors; monitor performance.
• Ensure inspection procedures are accurate and consistent.
• Inspect incoming/outgoing berry shipments for compliance.
• Support disposition decisions for questionable product.
• Uphold GMPs, sanitation, and food safety.
• Participate in calibration exercises and QA training.
• Monitor shelf-life programs and inventory rotation.
• Travel to remote locations as needed.

Skills

Quality assurance

USDA standards

Leadership

Communication

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

QA software

Job description

Job Description

Job Purpose

The Quality Control Lead is responsible for leading the daily quality control operations within our packing and cold storage facilities. This role oversees the quality control inspectors and ensures consistent application of company inspection standards, product specifications, and verifies compliance with customer requirements while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and food safety.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead and assist in the supervision of daily activities of the quality control team
• Assign inspection responsibilities to inspectors during receiving, shipping, rework, repack and packing activities
• Provide training and coaching to quality control inspectors and monitor inspector performance
• Ensure inspection procedures are performed accurately and consistently
• Perform quality inspections of incoming and outgoing berry shipments including during any packing, repacking, or reworking activities
• Verify product compliance with customer specifications, USDA grade standards, company product specifications
• Perform routine verification of inspections to ensure consistency among inspectors
• Provide support in the decision‑making process for the disposition of questionable product including holds, rejections, release and rework
• Comply with GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), sanitation procedures, and food safety requirements
• Participate in inspector calibration exercises and annual quality training
• Monitor product shelf‑life programs and inventory rotation
• Perform other quality control duties as assigned
• Travel to other remote locations as needed for support

Skills & Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Minium of 2-5 years’ experience in fresh produce quality assurance, agriculture, food manufacturing or warehouse operations
• Knowledge of USDA Grade Standards and Inspection Procedures
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and electronic quality management systems
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Ability to handle confidential information in a professional manner
• Punctual, regular, and consistent attendance, and ability to work overtime, nights and weekends if needed
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop employees
• Bilingual English and Spanish language proficiency (reading, writing, and speaking) is preferred but not required

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Required to stand for long periods of time
• Ability to bend, stoop, squat, push, pull and perform repetitive motions
• Must be able to lift 20-30 lbs as needed
• Must be willing to work in a refrigerated warehouse environment of 33°F – 40°F
• Ability to work overtime, weekends and holidays

This job description is intended to outline the framework of the duties performed by employees in this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all the job’s responsibilities. All our jobs include a broad range of activities, duties, and responsibilities which may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.