Seasonal QA

Paradise Tomato Kitchen; Los Banos (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Paradise Tomato Kitchen is seeking a Seasonal Quality Assurance Technician in California to ensure product quality and food safety through lab testing, sanitation verification, and GMP compliance.

You will perform daily equipment calibration, conduct microbiological and chemical tests, verify packaging integrity, support FDA requirements, and communicate deficiencies to supervisors to keep products within specification.

Qualifications

• Experience with laboratory quality systems or GMP is preferred.
• Familiarity with microbial testing methods is a plus.
• Ability to communicate findings clearly to the team.
• Proficiency in basic math and data entry.

Responsibilities

• Calibrate and document daily lab equipment.
• Verify food safety process equipment calibration and inspections.
• Analyze batches prior to filling for conformance to preprocess parameters.
• Perform physical, chemical, and microbiological testing on finished product at least hourly.
• Verify packaging integrity for primary and secondary packaging.
• Conduct sanitation verification, GMP inspections, and CCP testing audits.
• Swab sanitation verification using ATP technology and document results.
• Ensure lab adheres to good laboratory practices and proper documentation.
• Communicate deficiencies to supervisors to ensure conformity to FDA standards.
• Assist with ad hoc projects as assigned.

Skills

Laboratory practices

Lab equipment operation

Microbiological testing

Data entry & Excel

Communication skills

Tools

Refractometer

Automatic titrator

Colorimeter

Job description

The seasonal Quality Assurance Technician is responsible for ensuring the quality and food safety parameters of the products meet specification. This is done through physical, chemical, and microbiological testing, sanitation verification inspections and swabbing, food safety equipment calibration verification, and other tasks as assigned by the Lead Quality Technician, Quality Supervisor, and the Quality Manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Daily lab equipment calibrations and documentation.
• Food safety process equipment calibration verification checks and inspections including by not limited to process temperatures, incubator temperatures, and others as assigned.
• Analyze batches prior to filling for conformance to preprocess parameters.
• Complete physical, chemical, and microbiological testing on finished product hourly at a minimum, or as frequently as requested, when filling
• Complete primary packaging integrity testing as needed.
• Complete pouch and case code verification checks prior to start-up and after the completion of a changeover.
• Complete sanitation verification inspections, GMP inspections, secondary packaging inspections, and CCP testing audits as assigned.
• Complete sanitation verification swabbing through ATP technology and document results.
• Ensure the lab meets good laboratory practices, e.g., equipment is clean, orderly, maintained, and proper documentation is updated.
• Communicate any deficiencies to Lead Technician, Quality Supervisor, or Production Supervisor to ensure adjustments are made to ensure product meets specification and the plant is meeting FDA food safety requirements.
• Other projects and tasks as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Good laboratory practices experience preferred, not required.
• Refractometer, automatic titrator, colorimeter, and other lab equipment experience preferred, not required.
• Microbiological testing experience preferred, not required.
• Language and team communication skills.
• Basic mathematical and reasoning skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft word, Excel, and basic computer data entry skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• The ability to perform repetitious work accurately.
• The ability the lift up to 50 lbs
• The ability to stand for prolonged periods of time – 8-hour shifts.