Quality Technician

how fairlife nourishes you:

At fairlife, we believe in better — and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and wellbeing resources designed to support you physically, emotionally, socially, and financially, both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, effective day one!
• Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness insurance)
• Paid Time Off to recharge and support work-life balance
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10,000)
• Parental support & family care benefits, including childcare resources and lactation support
• 401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match
• Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work-life support
• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability
• Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)
• Tuition reimbursement (up to $10,000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)
• Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential
• Rewards & recognition, matching gifts, free product, and Business Resource Groups

fairlife’s nour!sh program is designed to meet you where you are — supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

job purpose: The Quality Technician monitors and performs qualitative/quantitative testing of process and product attributes to ensure food safety and food quality; ensures compliance with all applicable regulations such as the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance; complies with all applicable standards such as GFSI (Global Food Safety), Third party audits such as Silliker, Kosher, and Organic requirements; 
ensures processes, work in progress, incoming goods, in-process product, finished product meets specifications; interpretation of testing results to release of product that has met specifications; and processes documentation for non-conforming product and communicate information to plant management.

responsibilities:

• Check butterfat, total solids, pH, acidity, flavor, odor, cryoscopy, viscosity, brix, HR-1, 2 &3, temperatures, antibiotics, coliform, DMC, DMSCC and SPC.
• Calculate formulas and accelerated shelf life testing.
• Performs in plant weight checks, temperature checks, ingredient usage and distribution, code date verification.
• Performs environmental testing and Pre-op swabbing and maintains all records.
• Conducts pathogen monitoring on raw & finished products and maintains results.
• Responsible for hold/release/rejection of finished goods and raw materials.
• Maintains all lab records, internal and external lab results, inspection reports, vitamin log, water & glycol records.
• Coordinates and maintains all third-party laboratory testing programs
• Responsible for maintaining proper calibration standards.
• Responsible for daily finished product evaluation and Appendix N antibiotic testing.
• Assists with state and federal lab inspections.
• Performs sensory evaluation of raw material and finished product
• Helps control plant losses.
• Completes all duties in a manner that is consistent with all aspects of the company safety rules and good manufacturing practices.
• Performs related duties as assigned by the Manager or Supervisor on duty.
• Responsible for microbiological testing/documentation of finished and in-process products; interpret the results and retest/report abnormalities as needed; generate standard report of results
• Conduct routine inspection of processing areas including documentation to ensure that all documentation is present and correct and that all areas comply with GMPs and sanitation requirements
• Performs Quality Team Audits, including Good Manufacturing Practices and Housekeeping. 
• Manage the laboratory operations, maintain lab equipment and supplies
• Must be able to work with chemicals

skills/qualifications required:

• Must have High School diploma at a minimum. Bachelor’s degree in a science field or equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred.
• At least one or more years with previous laboratory with microbiology and chemistry experience required. Experience in a food production environment preferred.
• Must be accurate and precise in testing procedures and mix formulation calculations and have a keen sense of odors and flavors.
• Must possess strong oral and written communication skills.
• Must be able to read, write and interpret documents such as safety rules, procedure manuals and mathematical calculations.
• Must have the ability to read, comprehend and follow technical instructions, effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients and other employees of the organization.
• Must have the ability to hear and perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
  Must be able to speak and understand English fluently.
• Must have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. 
• Must have the ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out detailed and involved written or oral instructions and mathematical calculations. 
• Must have the ability to prioritize and organize.
• Must have the ability to demonstrate superb decision-making ability to determine best course of action in assessing test results.
• Must possess basic computer skills; knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs required. Knowledge of MS Office and SAP preferred.
• Knowledgeable with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s), safety programs and procedures.
• Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment

working conditions and physical requirements:

• Up to 12 hours sitting/standing/walking
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• Exposure to hazards (machinery, confined spaces, etc.)
• Must be able to work in and around loud noise levels, industrial machinery, air-conditioned environments suitable for carrying out controlled tests.
• Must be able to operate motorized vehicles or equipment

food safety requirements:

• Notify supervision of any repairs or adjustments that are required that may affect product quality or food safety.
• Understand, observe, and comply with the handling and usage of the color-coded container policy while in the Production Areas.
• Perform all duties necessary to meet Company, Customer and/or Government requirements/standards as prioritized by the Company.
• Ability to initiate action to prevent the occurrence of nonconformities relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the product, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Identify and record any problems relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the ingredients, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Control further processing or delivery of nonconforming product in terms of Food Safety and Quality issues until the deficiency or unsatisfactory condition has been corrected.
• In the event of absence, another employee with the same skill level will assume the duties and responsibilities as required.

shift: Rotating shift schedule - 3,2,2 (work 3 days, off 2 days, work 2 days, then it rotates)

schedule: 12-hour shift from 6am to 6pm

position location: Goodyear, AZ

reports to: Quality Control Supervisor