FSQA Tech
Safety Fresh Foods
Glendale, Wisconsin United States US View Map

Summary

Position Summary

The Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Technician is responsible for supporting the daily execution and verification of Craft Fresh Foods' food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory programs.

This is a hands-on, plant-floor position responsible for monitoring production activities, verifying compliance with established procedures and product specifications, completing food safety and quality checks, reviewing production documentation, identifying non-conforming conditions, and assisting Operations and FSQA leadership in ensuring that products are manufactured safely, consistently, and in accordance with customer, regulatory, and company requirements.

Safety Fresh Foods manufactures refrigerated food products through processes that may include ingredient receiving and staging, blending, thermal processing where applicable, cooling, filling, sealing, packaging, metal detection, refrigerated storage, and shipment for downstream High Pressure Processing (HPP) when required.

The FSQA Technician serves as an independent food safety and quality presence on the production floor and has the responsibility to immediately identify, communicate, and escalate conditions that could affect product safety, legality, quality, or customer requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Food Safety & Production Monitoring

Monitor manufacturing activities for compliance with approved food safety plans, HACCP or preventive control programs, SOPs, SSOPs, GMPs, product specifications, and customer requirements.
Perform scheduled food safety and quality checks throughout production.
Verify that required process parameters are being followed and properly documented.
Monitor critical or preventive-control-related activities as assigned and immediately escalate deviations.
Verify ingredient identity, lot information, condition, and other required receiving or production information.
Verify proper ingredient staging and usage according to approved formulas and production documentation.
Observe employee practices and enforce Good Manufacturing Practices, including handwashing, hygiene, protective clothing, traffic patterns, utensil control, and prevention of cross-contamination.
Identify conditions that could create microbiological, chemical, physical, allergen, or quality risks.

Product & Process Quality Verification

Perform and document routine product and process checks, which may include:

pH
Product temperature
Cooler and storage temperatures
Fill weight
Package weight
Product appearance
Color, consistency, texture, and other sensory attributes
Packaging integrity
Seal integrity
Container or pouch condition
Coding and date verification
Label verification
Lot code verification
Metal detector verification
Foreign-material controls
Product specification compliance

Immediately communicate any out-of-specification result to Operations and FSQA leadership.

Packaging & Seal Integrity

Routinely inspect cups, pouches, bags, containers, films, lids, and other packaging for proper seals and overall package integrity.
Conduct scheduled seal inspections and verification activities.
Identify leaking, loose, incomplete, contaminated, damaged, wrinkled, or otherwise unacceptable seals.
Document seal defects and communicate trends to Production.
Assist in determining the extent of potentially affected product when packaging or sealing problems are identified.
Verify corrective action before affected production is allowed to continue when required.

Pre-Operational & Sanitation Verification

Conduct or assist with pre-operational inspections before production begins.
Inspect food-contact equipment, production areas, utensils, floors, drains, walls, overhead structures, and surrounding areas for acceptable sanitary condition.
Verify completion of sanitation activities and document deficiencies.
Perform ATP, allergen, environmental, or other sanitation verification swabbing as assigned.
Communicate sanitation deficiencies to the appropriate department and verify corrective actions have been completed.
Assist with environmental monitoring activities according to established sampling plans.
Maintain accurate sampling records and properly prepare samples for laboratory testing when required.

Allergen Control

Verify compliance with Craft Fresh Foods' allergen control program.
Confirm correct product sequencing, sanitation/changeover practices, ingredient control, labeling, and storage practices where allergens are present.
Verify line clearance between products as required.
Assist with allergen verification testing or swabbing.
Immediately escalate any potential allergen cross-contact or labeling concern.

Production Record Review

Review production and FSQA records in real time whenever practical to identify errors before product leaves the manufacturing process.
Verify that required records are complete, legible, accurate, and completed at the required frequency.
Identify missing checks, incomplete records, incorrect entries, unexplained corrections, or process deviations.
Work with Production personnel to correct documentation issues promptly and according to established documentation practices.
Maintain FSQA records in an organized manner suitable for regulatory, customer, certification, and internal review.

Records may include:

Batch records
Ingredient and lot records
Production logs
pH records
Temperature records
Metal detector checks
Seal verification records
Weight checks
Sanitation records
Pre-operational inspections
Environmental monitoring records
Allergen control records
Label verification records
Hold documentation
Traceability records
Calibration records

Traceability & Lot Control

Verify accurate identification of raw materials, work-in-process, packaging, rework, and finished product.
Confirm lot codes and production information are properly recorded throughout manufacturing.
Assist with traceability exercises, mock recalls, product investigations, and reconciliation activities.
Help maintain one-step-forward and one-step-back traceability throughout Craft Fresh Foods' portion of the manufacturing process.
Verify that finished product can be linked to the applicable production batch, ingredients, packaging materials, production date, and downstream processing records where applicable.

HPP & Downstream Processing Verification

Verify product is properly identified and documented before shipment for HPP.
Confirm lot and batch traceability between Craft Fresh Foods production and downstream HPP processing.
Ensure product requiring HPP is clearly identified and appropriately controlled prior to confirmed processing.
Assist with review of applicable HPP processing documentation when required.
Assist FSQA leadership with reconciliation of production lots against HPP processing records.
Support hold/release procedures requiring confirmation of downstream processing.

The FSQA Technician does not independently establish or modify HPP process parameters or validations unless specifically trained and authorized to do so.

Product Hold & Non-Conforming Product

Identify potentially non-conforming ingredients, packaging, work-in-process, or finished product.
Place or assist in placing affected material on HOLD according to company procedures.
Ensure held material is clearly identified and segregated.
Maintain accurate hold documentation.
Prevent unauthorized movement, use, shipment, or release of held product.
Assist with investigations and collection of information needed for disposition decisions.
Verify that corrective actions have been completed prior to release when applicable.

Final product disposition authority remains with designated FSQA management unless specifically delegated.

Corrective Actions & Investigations

Immediately notify appropriate leadership when food safety, quality, sanitation, packaging, process, or documentation deviations occur.
Assist with determining the scope and potential product impact of deviations.
Gather production records, samples, lot information, process data, photographs, employee observations, and other relevant information during investigations.
Assist with root-cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions.
Verify completion and effectiveness of assigned corrective actions.
Identify repeated or trending issues and bring them to FSQA leadership.

Sample Collection & Product Retains

Collect finished-product, ingredient, environmental, or other samples as required.
Maintain proper sample identification and chain of custody.
Prepare samples for internal evaluation or outside laboratory testing.
Maintain organized product retain samples according to established procedures.
Assist with review and evaluation of retains during customer complaints or product investigations.

Equipment Verification & Calibration

Perform or assist with routine verification or calibration of FSQA monitoring equipment, including as applicable:

pH meters
Thermometers
Scales
Metal detector test pieces
ATP equipment
Other measuring or monitoring devices

Document activities and immediately remove or report equipment that is damaged, inaccurate, or outside acceptable tolerance.

Receiving, Storage & Shipping

Assist with inspection of incoming ingredients and packaging materials.
Verify trailer condition, product condition, temperature, lot identification, and other receiving requirements when applicable.
Monitor refrigerated storage conditions and product rotation.
Verify proper segregation of ingredients, allergens, packaging, work-in-process, finished product, held product, and chemicals.
Assist with finished-product inspection before shipment.
Verify product temperatures, package condition, lot identification, and shipping documentation as required.

Regulatory, Certification & Customer Compliance

Support compliance with applicable:

FDA requirements
Food Safety Modernization Act requirements
Current Good Manufacturing Practices
HACCP and preventive control programs
BRCGS or other applicable GFSI requirements
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection requirements
Organic requirements where applicable
Kosher requirements where applicable
Customer-specific food safety and quality requirements

Assist with regulatory inspections, certification audits, customer audits, internal audits, and corrective-action follow-up as requested.

Training & Food Safety Culture

Reinforce GMP, sanitation, allergen, and food safety expectations with production employees.
Provide immediate coaching when routine deficiencies are observed.
Assist with employee food safety and quality training as assigned.
Lead by example and promote a culture in which employees are expected and encouraged to report food safety or quality concerns.
Maintain professional relationships with Production, Sanitation, Warehouse, Maintenance, Procurement, Shipping/Receiving, and management personnel.

Required Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Previous food manufacturing, quality assurance, sanitation, laboratory, or related experience preferred.
Ability to read and follow written specifications, SOPs, production documentation, and food safety procedures.
Strong attention to detail.
Ability to accurately document observations and test results.
Basic math skills.
Basic computer skills, including email and Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to communicate clearly with production employees, supervisors, management, customers, and outside laboratories as appropriate.
Ability to work independently and make sound decisions within established procedures.
Ability to recognize abnormalities and escalate issues rather than allowing questionable product or processes to continue.

Preferred Qualifications

1-2 years of food manufacturing or FSQA experience.
Experience in refrigerated or ready-to-eat food manufacturing.
HACCP training.
PCQI training or familiarity with FSMA preventive controls.
Experience with BRCGS or another GFSI certification scheme.
Experience with environmental monitoring and ATP testing.
Experience with pH measurement and calibration.
Experience with allergen-control programs.
Experience with metal detection.
Experience with product holds, traceability, and mock recalls.
Experience with root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Strong observational skills.
High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Sound judgment.
Ability to remain objective when evaluating production conditions.
Willingness to enforce requirements consistently.
Strong organizational skills.
Effective written and verbal communication.
Problem-solving ability.
Sense of urgency when food safety or product quality is at risk.
Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities in an active production environment.
Ability to professionally challenge or stop an activity when requirements are not being followed.
Ability to work collaboratively with Operations while maintaining independent FSQA judgment.
Dependability and consistent attendance.

Physical & Working Conditions

This position operates primarily within an active refrigerated food manufacturing environment. The employee must be able to:

Stand and walk for extended periods.
Frequently move throughout production, warehouse, sanitation, cooler, and shipping areas.
Bend, reach, squat, and perform inspections around manufacturing equipment.
Safely lift and move approximately 40-50 pounds as needed.
Work in refrigerated and wet environments.
Work around operating production and sanitation equipment.
Wear required personal protective equipment.
Follow all employee safety, food safety, hygiene, and GMP requirements.
Work overtime, weekends, or adjusted hours when production, sanitation, audits, investigations, or business needs require.

Performance Expectations

1. Complete required FSQA checks accurately and on time.

2. Identify and escalate deviations before affected product is released or shipped.

3. Maintain accurate, complete, and audit-ready documentation.

4. Consistently enforce GMP and food safety requirements.

5. Effectively verify sanitation and pre-operational conditions.

6. Maintain accurate product and ingredient traceability.

7. Identify seal, packaging, labeling, temperature, pH, or process abnormalities early.

8. Properly control non-conforming and held product.

9. Communicate issues clearly and professionally with Production and FSQA leadership.

10. Demonstrate sound judgment and an appropriate sense of urgency regarding food safety and quality.

11. Contribute to successful internal, customer, regulatory, and certification audits.

12. Support continuous improvement and reduction of recurring food safety and quality failures.

Food Safety Responsibility

Every Safety Fresh Foods employee is responsible for producing safe and compliant food.

The FSQA Technician carries an enhanced responsibility to independently monitor and verify food safety and quality requirements and must immediately report any condition that could compromise the safety, legality, quality, integrity, or traceability of Craft Fresh Foods products.

The FSQA Technician is expected to place food safety ahead of production speed or output whenever the two are in conflict.

Other Duties

This position description identifies the primary responsibilities of the role but is not intended to represent every task that may be assigned. Duties may be modified or additional responsibilities assigned based on operational, regulatory, customer, or food safety needs.

Job Description