Quality Technician

Kerry; Harrisonburg (VA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Paid time off

401(k) plan with company contribution

Employee Share Plan

Job summary

Kerry in Rothschild, Wisconsin, a world-leading taste and nutrition company, seeks a qualified technician for a 7p–7a shift to support manufacturing, sanitation and quality programs. You will help ensure safe, high-quality products for customers and collaborate with production teams on process improvements.

Applicants should have a HS diploma or GED and 1–3 years in lab or QA roles; experience with GMP, HACCP, SSOPs and environmental monitoring is valued. Flexibility to cover shifts is essential.

Qualifications

• Organizational skills and effective communication required.
• Ability to follow written procedures and instructions.
• Strong math and data interpretation skills.
• QA experience and food manufacturing experience are a plus.
• HS diploma or GED required.
• 2–3 years lab/QA experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a safe and efficient workforce.
• Collaborate with production operatives to ensure quality programs.
• Implement food safety and quality procedures including GMP audits and facility walkthroughs.
• Handle and dispense chemicals with proper PPE.
• Understand clean-up procedures and SSOPs for plant equipment.
• Support root cause analysis and issue resolution from audits.

Skills

Organizational skills

Verbal and written communication

Ability to follow procedures

Safety compliance

Quality assurance

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

High school diploma or GED

QA experience or Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Lab equipment

Job description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

Our Rothschild, WI location is part of our Applied Health and Nutrition division and is responsible for our biopharmaceutical needs for Kerry customers and brands. This site is one of two that works with specialized lactose protein within the Kerry organization! People may not realize we're more than just great taste when it comes to food and beverage products - we truly are committed to nutrition and sciences as well!

Shift 7p - 7a on a 2-2-3 schedule

Key responsibilities

Role Description, Skills, Experience and Qualifications required Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Effectively work with the team to maintain a safe and efficient work force.
• Work in collaboration with production operatives to ensure an effective quality program
• Efficiently and effectively implement Food Safety and Quality procedures through pre operational inspections, GMP audits, and facility walkthroughs.
• Handle and dispense chemicals, ensuring proper PPE is maintained at all times
• Understand clean up procedures and SSOPs for all plant equipment.
• Support the root cause analysis, implementation of resolutions and close out of issues / incidents which have been identified as part of audit or sanitation monitoring activities.
• Play a crucial role in food safety by preventing contamination and maintaining hygiene standards in accordance with company policies.
• Responsible for manufacturing, distributing and consistently maintaining safe and quality food by following good manufacturing practices, allergen controls, food defense, HACCP, SQF, and regulatory requirements
• Keeps immediate supervisor informed of relevant activities on shift and takes or recommends corrective action when required.
• Attend production Tier 1 meetings and conduct shift hands off with fellow technicians, giving full reports on shift activities.
• Conduct environmental monitoring sampling and testing and aid in investigation for positive results
• Assist the Supervisor or Manager in conducting special tasks or projects that may require organizing or researching a project.
• Assist in investigations as needed
• Required to have the flexibility to move between all shifts to conduct the necessary training and cover for vacancies as needed.
• Flexibility and willingness to perform tasks where assigned and as differing situations arise. Perform other duties as assigned.

The above listed duties are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities or duties required. Incumbents will be expected to perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and skills

Experience

Minimum Requirements

• Organizational skills & excellent communication skills are essential.
• Ability to comprehend and follow written and/or verbal procedures or instructions.
• Ability to organize and plan ahead to maximize job efficiency and work safely.
• Ability to strive for excellence in all areas; focus on effective internal and external customer-supplier relationships.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals.
• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers and regulatory agencies.
• Ability to effectively present information to management.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Education

• Must have a high school diploma or GED.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Two to three years of lab and quality assurance experience and/or bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum one year sanitation experience, knowledge of food ingredients is a plus.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Must use logical thought processes and deductive reasoning.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in written form.
• Minimum of one year in Quality experience preferred, food manufacturing is a plus
• Must have HS Diploma or GED
• Must have good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to perform basic math skills
• Willing to perform all tasks when and where assigned and as changing situations arise
• Maintain professional and positive attitude and work ethic

Working Conditions

• Food manufacturing plant
• Warehouse environment

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in hot, cold or wet environments.
• Ability to work overtime and use a flexible schedule.

Backup Coverage Provided by Sr. Quality technician, other technician, or designee.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this job and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be required to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this job description. Kerry reserves the right to revise this Job Description, as it deems necessary.

Compensation Data

$21.00 - $22.00 hourly with $2 shift differential.

Kerry offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, Employee Share Plan, Life, disability, and accident insurance.

We may use artificial intelligence tools to support the review and assessment of applications and assist with scheduling interviews. We do not use AI to make decisions during the interview process. All candidate assessments and employment decisions are made by human recruitment and leadership teams.

Kerry is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Kerry will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. Additional information can be found at Know Your Rights Workplace Discrimination is Illegal (dol.gov).