SQF Practitioner -Bakery

Job Description

Job Description

Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm

Must be open to working overtime as needed

Position Summary / Objective

· Support the quality assurance department with responsibility for total product/package quality, regulatory compliance, GMPs, and executing all Quality Assurance protocols to ensure Food Safety and Quality objectives are met.

· This role is responsible for leading SQF (Safe Quality Food) initiatives to ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards.

· Oversee the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the SQF System, including the system elements, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and Food Safety Plans.

· May be designated as Primary or Back-up SQF Practitioner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Responsible for ensuring Food Safety policies and procedures are adhered to including but not limited by SQF Code, HACCP, Flour Fusion Quality and any customer quality requirements.

· Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance and quality control policies and procedures to meet company and regulatory requirements.

· Conduct regular internal audits and inspections of production processes, ensuring adherence to GMP, HACCP, and other quality standards.

· Responsible for working alongside all Quality Assurance technicians to support and ensure that quality assurance processes are consistently, effectively followed and products are meeting compliance.

· Collaborate with production teams to identify and resolve quality issues, working proactively to reduce errors, improve product consistency and reduce food waste.

· Monitor and document quality metrics, analyze data, and generate reports to drive continuous improvement in quality systems. Examples: Lab results, Product Testing, Customer Complaints, and CAPA’s.

· Manage non-conformance and corrective action processes, working with cross-functional teams to prevent recurrence of issues.

· Stay updated with industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices in food safety and quality control.

· Responsible for direct management and coordination of internal / external product sampling (i.e. sensory, microbiology testing) and environmental testing.

· Follow all QA, GMP, HACCP, OSHA and SQF regulations, policies and procedures.

· Write, update, and maintain SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for Food Safety Management Program. Update as needed to support continuous improvements and maintain compliance with Food Safety Code Standards, Customer requirements, Regulatory and Legislation.

· Responsible for preparing and providing food safety-related training to employees through Alchemy.

· Leads the development and implementation of Food Safety Fundamentals, the Food Safety Plans for all manufacturing and raw material holding locations.

· Responsible to meet all federal and state regulatory requirements and the SQF program.

· Review and verify HACCP and production process records are complete, accurate, and dated in a timely manner.

· Work alongside Supporting departments (Purchasing, R&D) to review, confirm, and validate all raw ingredients and finished product specifications.

· Responsible for verifying all approved ingredients and food contact packaging specifications are maintained on file, accessible and reviewed annually.

· Responsible for updating senior site management on at least a monthly basis on matters impacting the implementation and maintenance of the SQF System. Updates and Management responses must be documented.

· Complete yearly audit on all product panels and allergen statements to verify against ingredient specifications – recommend any revisions if necessary.

· Inspect incoming products and materials to verify conformance to product specifications, verify process procedure paperwork is completed accurately and completely.

· Perform random weigh checks - deposited batter, baked product and finished product to verify and validate all weights and temperatures are within compliance. Verify documented weight and temperature checks are being performed accurately and correctly by production and packaging team members.

· Optimize resources while ensuring raw materials and finished products meet specifications and manufacturing standards and in accordance with FDA, GMP's, HACCP, and all other governmental policies, procedures, and regulations.

· Responsible for departmental non-conformances and implementation of corrective action ensuring all corrective actions are documented and outstanding actions closed in a timely manner.

· Perform Internal Audits per SQF code requirements.

Required Competencies and Expectations

· Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field (preferred).

· SQF Practitioner Certification

· HACCP Certification

· Food Safety Certification

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field (preferred).

· Minimum of 5 years of experience in quality assurance/quality control within the bakery or food industry.

· In-depth knowledge of SQF, HACCP, GMP, and food safety regulations.

· Strong leadership skills with the ability to train and develop a quality-focused team.

· Excellent attention to detail, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

· Proficiency in quality management software, Microsoft Office, and reporting tools.

· Experience in Food Manufacturing

· Proficient in Excel, Word and Power Point

· Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations.

· Strong leadership and coaching skills

· Decision-making: Able to make independent decisions on a daily basis, addressing the best way to handle specific tasks to meet deadlines

· Commitment to safety and a clean work environment

· Bilingual Preferred

Food Safety & GMP Responsibilities

· Follow all Flour Fusion LLC food safety programs and policies

· Maintain compliance with GMP, sanitation, and allergen control procedures

· Immediately report food safety or quality concerns

Supervisory Responsibility

· This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Physical and Working Conditions

· Physical-Continuously standing or walking.

· Visual/Sensory-This position requires regular need to give moderate attention with one or two senses at a time.

· Work environment- Work and environment are very repetitive.

· Climate: This position requires the incumbent to have the ability to work in ambient hot and/or cold seasonal environment

Safety & PPE Requirements

· Steel-toe safety shoes required in designated production areas

· Hair nets, beard nets (if applicable), gloves, and required PPE must be worn

· Employees operating pallet jacks must receive proper training

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

· This is a full-time position; work hours are subject to change based on Operation needs.