Quality & Lab Specialist — Grow into QA Manager

Mezzetta; American Canyon (CA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Inclusive workplace

Job summary

Mezzetta is seeking a hands-on Quality & Lab Specialist in American Canyon, CA, to uphold the lab's technical integrity and support QA activities on the plant floor. You will work with the QA Manager on calibration, test methods, and regulatory alignment, with a path toward managing lab resources across shifts.

You will play a key role in ensuring state release accuracy, documenting results, and training staff while maintaining strict compliance with GMP, SQF, and HACCP standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, or related field.
• 5+ years hands-on lab experience in food manufacturing, including analytical testing and documentation.
• Experience with lab instrumentation calibration and preventive maintenance.
• Experience reviewing or authoring test methods and SOPs for regulatory alignment.
• Training or mentoring lab and QA staff on methods and quality procedures.
• Familiarity with GMP, GFSI, HACCP and lab data release connections.

Responsibilities

• Conduct day-to-day lab operations and State Release coordination, including review of analytical results and release decisions.
• Coordinate product release from State positive release; support product Hold program and timely resolution of held product.
• Maintain calibration schedules and ensure instruments are qualified and audit-ready.
• Review test methods and lab procedures for accuracy and regulatory alignment.
• Support process control and thermal processing compliance for low-acid and acidified foods.
• Assist in delivering training for lab and QA staff; maintain training records.
• Triage and route quality issues in real time.
• Consolidate lab data into daily/weekly summaries for KPI reporting.
• Ensure QA procedures and CCPs across shifts meet GMP, SQF, HACCP.

Skills

Lab experience

Instrument calibration

SOP development

Cross-shift comms

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related

Tools

Lab instruments

RedZone

IFS ERP

ISO 17025

Job description

Mezzetta is seeking a hands-on Quality & Lab Specialist in American Canyon, CA, to uphold the lab's technical integrity and support QA activities on the plant floor. You will work with the QA Manager on calibration, test methods, and regulatory alignment, with a path toward managing lab resources across shifts.

You will play a key role in ensuring state release accuracy, documenting results, and training staff while maintaining strict compliance with GMP, SQF, and HACCP standards.