Sr Specialist Food Safety Compliance

Location: Memphis, TN

Summary:

Under Minimal guidance, the Food Safety Compliance Specialist’s primary role is to coordinate efforts to achieve and maintain the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification.  Responsibilities include ensuring compliance to all company and regulatory policies/procedures about product safety/quality.  The incumbent shall be responsible for coordination of the following programs: new hire training, monthly employee training, maintenance of the plant’s food safety and quality program, internal audit program, various computer support systems for data manipulation, basic analysis and reports of product quality information. The SQF Practitioner is responsible for providing support to the manufacturing operations, which includes ensuring compliance to all company and regulatory policies/procedures about product safety/quality. The position serves as the technical resource for Manufacturing and Engineering, providing leadership and guidance in the areas of sanitation compliance, weight control, packaging, incident investigation and resolution, troubleshooting and other related matters. The incumbent also provides support to employee training and product and process audits. The position provides QA support to the various Business Units across the plant. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Food Safety / Quality Program Compliance
  • To assure compliance to the food safety/food quality programs, facilitate required employee training, complete required internal assessments, develop corrective/preventive actions, lead 3rd party audits, and complete required validation and verifications of the system. The Practitioner will deliver high-level of technical competency on all aspects of the QA Document/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) process. Review revises and develops Hershey’s Product Excellence Program (PEP) documents. Verifies and validates all changes to the Food Safety and Food Quality Plan.

• PEP / GFSI Program Compliance

  • Lead the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the plant’s food safety/food quality program to assure compliance with The Hershey Company’s Product Excellence Program and GFSI standards.

• Manufacturing Support

  • The position serves as a technical resource for Manufacturing and Engineering along with providing leadership and guidance in the areas of weight control, packaging, incident investigation and resolution, troubleshooting and other related matters.  Support shall also be provided for employee training and product/process audits. The position provides QA support to the various Business Units across the plant. Investigates and analyzes incidents; takes corrective actions, and/or makes recommendations as appropriate for routine incidents.

• Continuous Improvement
  • The Practitioner will implement continuous improvement through utilization of PEP program elements such as System Control Plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), HACCP, Weight Control and Consumer Complaint Reduction. Participates in or Leads improvement teams and prepares reports as necessary.

• Training / Communication

  • Assure employee ownership of programs by communicating essential information related to food safety/food quality to all employees including management and line operatives.

• ​​​​​​​Incident Management

  • Investigates and analyzes incidents to identify trends in product/quality safety information.  Initiates corrective actions and communicates findings as appropriate.  Uses various computer support systems (ex. SAP product tracking, Trackwise, etc.) to help isolate / solve problems. ​​​​​​​

• Project / New Product Support

  • Under direct or moderate supervision, acts as QA representative on multi-functional project teams or non-routine assignments.  May support new product efforts from initial test runs to full-scale production to assure the integrity of systems.

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities: 

• Effective communication of technical and non-technical information to various levels, both internally and externally to the organization.
• Strong working knowledge of QA principles.
• Working Knowledge of federal and state food industry regulations.
• Understanding of sanitation and pest control practices.
• Strong understanding of The Hershey Company’s Product Excellence Program (PEP) and HACCP.
• Strong understanding of GFSI standards. 
• Strong computer and document management skills.
• Strong documentation skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with all levels internal and external to the plant to deliver timely results.
• Establish and sustain effective relationships with all employees in order to foster and environment where innovation and cooperation are used to solve problems.
• Strong auditing/assessment skills.
• Knowledge of manufacturing operations.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to influence management.
• Ability to interact effectively with 3rd party and internal auditors.
• The position will primarily work 1st shift, but work schedule flexibility is required to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation is required.

Education Requirements:

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Food Science, Microbiology or related field or equivalent related experience.
• Master’s in food science, Food Safety or related field preferred.

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum of 3 yrs. of related experience required; 5 + years preferred.
• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Certification is strongly preferred.
• SQF Certification is desirable.
• Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI) Certification is desirable.
• Six Sigma certification is desirable.
• Allergens Management (desired).
• QA related experience in a high speed automated Consumer Goods manufacturing environment preferred (e.g. production of food, beverages, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, household goods, and/or tobacco).

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