Quality Assurance Technician

At Teasdale Latin Foods, our tag line is Simply Especial.

How does simplicity translate to excellence? By putting just the right amount of care into each and every product, and just the right number of ingredients, too. Because quality shouldn’t be complicated. It’s simply the taste of Teasdale.

When it comes to our people, our approach is the same…our people are “Simply Especial”:

• We are teamwork, respect, integrity, and accountability.
  
• We are proud of our heritage.
• We are multi-cultural and multi-generational.
• We are obsessed with quality.
• We are leaders.
• We are Latin food.

We believe in finding the right people for the right roles, helping them to build careers. That's where you come in.

QUALITY ASSURANCE TECHNICIAN - HOOPESTON, IL

SUMMARY:

Performs standardized tests to ensure product complies with company, customer, and government specifications and requirements by performing assigned duties. In general, to assist QA department to ensure all quality and Food Safety & Food Quality related program and procedures are met.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitors production lines to ensure product is within specification and all critical control points and critical quality points are met. If deviation occurs, a corrective action must be taken.
• Check all can codes prior to production, during production, and after any code change.
• Verify all scales prior to startup with certified weights and record data.
• Verify the salt meters in and record data prior to start up.
• Verify the refractometer and record data prior to start up.
• Verify handheld NIST certified thermometers and record data.
• Check bostwick at start of running refried beans and at every changeover.
• Set up cans daily for Peco checks.
• Print and pass out production schedules.
• Print shop orders, batch sheets, and bean inventory for next day production.
• Hourly checks of can codes and visual seams.
• Check and change freezer and cooler charts at the beginning of each production week.
• Daily cutting of product ran on the previous day along with product cutting report.
• Daily GMP check and document any findings on the Daily GMP Checklist.
• Verify incoming raw material trucks.
• Reviews daily lab paperwork and report any deviations.
• Gather and organize daily production paperwork for review by Quality Assurance Manager.
• Review daily packaging activity recap papers with final grade, holds, and disposition of product and quantity.
• Complete all sample requests
• Prepare first production samples for customers. Verify labels, inkjet on top of cans (best by), print on trays, and shrink wrap when needed.
• Ability and willingness to learn and trouble shoot lab equipment/instruments such as moisture, salt, pH, scales, tenderometer, pressure gauges, bostwick, and an Adenosine Triphosphate monitor.
• Perform all sanitation, food safety, and food quality inspections prior to startup of each production day.
• Assists in production when there are quality issues.
• Perform attribute grading, hourly, on all product coming out of cooker and input data into MES/CDC. Along with salt reading, tenderometer, moisture of bean, for each sample pulled.
• Collect retain samples of daily production and store for future reference.
• Verify metal detectors.
• Monitors the Process Technician with fill/net weights and assists when necessary.
• Assist Distribution Manager when quality issues are discovered. Bringing can samples back to Closing Machine Mechanic and Double Seam Technician to visually check and/or tear down. Pulling records to see of any issues.
• Assist Distribution Manager with QA checks in distribution when Distribution QA Technician is not available.
• Assists with any heat penetration tests being done by thermal process authority when on site.
• Assist R&D with new production sampling and testing.
• Grade all pre-sample beans.
• Grade all truck sample beans.
• Input all pre-samples and truck samples into computer such as, moisture, defects, discoloration, and insect damage.
• Test all sauce for brix and salt, prior to running each batch.
• Verify at startup and changeover that the sauce room is using the correct ingredients for sauce and sign off on each batch sheet.
• Responsible to log correct and accurate data for all testing done on production runs.
• Proficient with computers and has the ability to use Microsoft office and enter data into software such as Deacom and MES/CDC.
• Maintain and file all records according to company policy
• Work with management to ensure accurate information is being documented in the production of the products and assist with Food Safety & Food Quality Related issues.
• Ensure compliance to company policies and procedures on safety, GMPs and SQF.
• For guidelines and specific procedures on how to perform tasks, refer to Standard Operating Procedures.
• In house label review before labels used on labeling lines.
• Ship samples via Enveyo.
• Document loss destruction forms with pictures. Make supervisors aware of the loss.
• Perform gluten testing and record all data.
• Complete soak sheets when Inventory Clerk is unavailable.
• Other duties as needed & assigned by QA Manager and/or Quality System Manager.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to make decisions.
• Ability to work with managerial, clerical, production and maintenance personnel.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence legibly.
• Must be able to speak and read English.
• Must have a High School Diploma or GED.
• Ability to understand and carry out instructions with little direction.
• Must have computer skills.
• Must carry out “Good Manufacturing Practices” to ensure a safe and clean work environment.

WHY TEASDALE?:

• Day One - Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Day One Accrual of Sick Time
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Matching Contributions at 60 Days
• Career Growth Opportunities and Professional Development

Are you passionate about making a difference every single day, being a part of a growing team, and transforming your job into a career? Come join us at Teasdale Latin Foods!