Lead Quality Assurance Tech.

Job Reference Number: 43059
Employment Type: Full-Time, Onsite 
Segment: Community Meals
Brand: TRAD
Location: Traditions - Quality Assurance

QA Technician Lead Job Description

Job Title: Quality Assurance Technician Lead
Department: Quality Assurance
Reports To: Quality Assurance Manager
Classification: Full-Time

Position Summary

The QA Technician Lead supports the Quality Assurance Manager in ensuring that all products are manufactured safely and consistently and meet company, customer, USDA, FDA, HACCP, SSOP, SQF, and regulatory requirements. This position provides daily directions to QA Technicians, reviews quality and food-safety documentation, monitors production activities, and immediately reports or addresses any food-safety or quality concerns.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide daily work assignments, direction, and support to QA Technicians.
• Ensure QA coverage for receiving, ingredient preparation, production, portion control, pack-out, labeling, and product release activities.
• Verify that employees follow GMPs, hygiene requirements, allergen controls, SSOPs, HACCP procedures, and company policies.
• Review production and QA paperwork for accuracy, completeness, proper initials, dates, times, lot codes, and corrective actions.
• Verify ingredients, product components, labels, case labels, lot codes, Julian dates, use-by dates, and packaging materials before production begins.
• Confirm that the correct ingredients and labels are used for each product.
• Monitor portion weights, product temperatures, cook temperatures, cooling procedures, freezer temperatures, and other process-control requirements.
• Perform and document pre-operational inspections before production starts.
• Verify that equipment and food-contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized.
• Monitor metal-detector checks and other foreign-material control procedures.
• Place ingredients, packaging materials, or finished products on hold when food-safety, quality, labeling, or documentation requirements are not met.
• Notify the QA Manager and appropriate production personnel immediately of any food-safety or quality issue.
• Assist with investigations, corrective actions, root-cause analysis, and preventive actions.
• Verify that corrective actions are completed and properly documented.
• Review finished-product paperwork before recommending product release.
• Assist with product traceability exercises, mock recalls, actual recalls, and inventory reconciliation.
• Collect environmental, finished-product, ingredient, and other required samples for laboratory testing.
• Assist with customer complaints, foreign-material investigations, and product nonconformances.
• Train and coach QA Technicians on inspection procedures, documentation requirements, GMPs, HACCP, SQF, allergen control, and company policies.
• Communicate QA concerns and production issues during shift changes and management meetings.
• Help prepare the facility and documentation for USDA, FDA, SQF, customer, and internal audits.
• Maintain organized, accurate, and readily available QA records.
• Perform other food-safety and quality duties assigned by the QA Manager.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary QA contact on the production floor when the QA Manager is unavailable.
• Lead by example and promote a positive food-safety culture.
• Assign tasks and verify that required QA checks are completed on time.
• Provide respectful coaching and document repeated performance or compliance concerns.
• Communicate effectively with QA, Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Management.
• Escalate serious or unresolved food-safety and quality concerns to the QA Manager.

Authority

The QA Technician Lead has the authority to:

• Stop production when an immediate food safety or regulatory concern is identified.
• Place affected products, ingredients, or packaging materials on hold.
• Reject materials or products that do not meet approved specifications.
• Require corrective action before production resumes.
• Escalate unresolved issues directly to the QA Manager or senior management.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least one year of quality assurance or food-manufacturing experience is preferred.
• Previous leadership or team-lead experience preferred.
• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, SSOPs, allergen control, food defense, traceability, and SQF requirements preferred.
• Ability to read product specifications, ingredient statements, labels, production schedules, and regulatory documents.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation skills.
• Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and electronic production or inventory systems.
• Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations involving weights, temperatures, percentages, and inventory quantities.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with employees and management.
• HACCP and SQF training preferred or must be completed as required by the company.

Physical and Work Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to bend, reach, and lift up to 40 pounds when required.
• Ability to work in refrigerated, freezer, wet, and production environments.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including early mornings, overtime, weekends, or additional shifts when necessary.

Food-Safety Responsibility

The QA Technician Lead is responsible for supporting the manufacture of safe, legal, and quality food products. This employee must immediately report any food-safety, quality, regulatory, or employee-practice concern to management and is empowered to take appropriate action to protect consumers and the company.

About Traditions:

Traditions started as a simple, frozen meal delivery service for the elderly in 2001. Now, over 20 years later, we have grown into a team of caring professionals whose experience drives an operation that serves over 300,000 meals per week. Our emphasis on quality and care has positioned us as a national leader in providing frozen meals, and our scope has grown beyond seniors as we push the boundaries of what prepackaged meal service can be.

About Elior-North America:

Elior North America is an equal opportunity employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. We take pride in supporting the development of our employees and their skills at all levels and in fostering an environment of growth.

At Elior North America, we are committed to offering growth and advancement opportunities for all of our employees. The valuable skills and experience you’ve gained with Elior will propel you further in your career, whether with our corporate office or one of our brand segments.

Disclaimer: This job description can be revised  by management as needed.