Senior Food Safety & QA Technologist - 3rd Shift

Smithfield Foods; St. Charles (IL); On-site; USD 53,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

Job summary

Smithfield Foods in Illinois, St. Charles area, is seeking a Food Safety and Quality Assurance professional to uphold the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance in a high-speed production environment.

You will own routine sanitation checks, enforce HACCP and USDA regulations, evaluate product quality, and drive corrective actions with cross-functional teams, supporting pre-op sanitation, temperature monitoring, GMPs, and leaker detection.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in meat/food science or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Solid knowledge of QA, food safety, USDA, HACCP, SSOP; HACCP/SQF preferred.
• Able to read/write English and document compliance accurately.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA and continuous improvement through inspections and in-process checks.
• Support HACCP plans, monitor CCPs, verify records, ensure compliance.
• Coordinate sanitation, pre-op checks, and trend food safety data.
• Train team members and cover essential QA tasks when needed.

Skills

QA principles

Food safety

USDA

HACCP

SSOP

Education

Bachelor's degree in meat science, food science, microbiology, or related field

Job description

If you are currently employed at Smithfield, please log into Workday and submit your application through the Jobs Hub.

Have a seat at our table. When you join Smithfield, you become part of something special - a company that's sustainably feeding people around the world, producing good food the right way with respect for our people, animals, communities and planet. With opportunities across locations and functions, a culture grounded in our Core Four values - gratitude, communication, respect and accountability - and a strong commitment to learning, collaboration, and innovation, Smithfield offers challenging and rewarding careers where you can grow, contribute and make a real impact.

THE VALUE YOU'LL BRING:

The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section.

Are you a compliance-driven Food Safety and Quality Assurance professional who thrives in high-speed environments and has a passion for improving processes? At Smithfield Foods-one of the nation's top 25 consumer packaged goods companies-you'll play a vital role in ensuring our products meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

In this role, you'll take ownership of routine sanitation checks, enforce HACCP and USDA regulations, and track products from start to finish with precision and accountability. You'll be responsible for evaluating product quality, identifying deficiencies, and helping to develop corrective actions that keep operations running smoothly. Your expertise will be key in supporting plant programs such as pre-op sanitation, temperature monitoring, GMPs, and leaker detection, all while working cross-functionally to resolve issues and drive improvements.

At Smithfield, your dedication to food safety will help deliver trusted products like Smithfield, Eckrich, and Nathan's Famous to millions of consumers-safely, consistently, and proudly.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

• Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement: You'll play a key role in ensuring our products meet all required specifications through regular inspections and in-process checks. If you find something that's out of spec, you'll take immediate action-whether that means pulling product, notifying production, or supporting corrective measures. You'll help identify issues at the source and contribute to continuous improvement efforts by collecting data, reviewing procedures, and keeping documentation accurate and up to date. Your attention to detail will help us maintain the highest quality standards every day.
• Food Safety & HACCP Compliance: Food safety starts with you. You'll support the implementation and day-to-day compliance of our HACCP plans by monitoring critical control points, verifying records, and ensuring protocols are followed without exception. You'll also help identify trends in food safety data and assist in training team members on how to maintain safe, compliant operations. Your role is essential in making sure we meet both regulatory and company food safety expectations.
• Regulatory & Sanitation Oversight: You will help ensure compliance with USDA regulations, perform pre-operational sanitation checks, and coordinate resampling and follow-ups as needed. You'll work closely with sanitation and QA teams to verify proper execution and follow-through. You'll also assist in reviewing and updating food safety programs to ensure they remain aligned with current regulations.
• Leadership, Training & Coverage: You'll serve as a resource for newer team members by offering guidance and sharing your knowledge of FS/QA processes. When needed, you'll step in to help cover essential tasks or assist your supervisor in delegating responsibilities-keeping operations running smoothly and in full compliance, even when key team members are unavailable.

WHAT WE'RE SEEKING:

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 to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in meat science, food science, microbiology, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• The company will consider a currently enrolled college student with an anticipated graduation by the end of the current school year as qualified.
• Solid knowledge of QA principles, food safety, USDA, HACCP, SSOP; with HACCP and SQF certifications preferred.
• Strong technical expertise in quality and regulatory programs
• Able to read, write, and complete required documentation in English

OTHER SKILLS THAT MAKE YOU STAND OUT:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including regulatory and customer interactions
• Committed to upholding regulatory, company, and customer standards
• Proficient in problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution
• Skilled in interpreting and writing technical documents, reports, and SOPs
• Able to interpret various instructions (written, oral, diagram, or schedule)
• Experienced with monitoring equipment and data interpretation
• Competent in Microsoft Office and other standard business software

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee should possess to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Office and plant setting. The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions (non-weather related), extreme cold and heat (non-weather related), working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, and chemicals.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud when in the production area.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision includes close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear.

The expected pay range for this position is $52,500 - $77,500 annually.

Smithfield Foods provides pay ranges that reflect its good faith estimate of thesalary or hourly wagethe company reasonably expects to pay for a positionat the time of hire. Individual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, location of the position, the candidate's qualifications and experience, internal equity, external market pay for comparable positions and budget considerations. At Smithfield Foods, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive total rewards package. Learn more about our benefits package here.

Relocation Package AvailableYes

EEO Information

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595.