Quality Assurance Technician

Quality Assurance Technician

Glanbia Performance Nutrition 

Join this dynamic team focused on delivering better nutrition for every step of life’s journey.

The Opportunity

Responsible for ensuring all products & product quality/ food safety processes comply with specified requirements. Maintaining and assisting the QA Manager to deliver continuous improvement in your areas of responsibility and across the site, whilst encouraging best practice at all levels within the organisation to promote a right first-time approach to quality. Effectively control and drive internal product safety and quality records within the business to keep all parties appropriately informed, whilst maintaining control of the process and outcomes.

Hours/ Shift Patterns: 12 Hour shifts working a 4 day on 4 day off pattern, alternating between 4 day shifts 6am – 6pm to 4 night shifts 6pm – 6am

Job Summary

Health, Safety & Welfare

The welfare of your colleagues is paramount, and you must promote and support a safe working environment and foster a culture of “safety first”.

• Ensure the working environment, equipment, plant, and people always meet with internal health and safety standards through specified start up checks and periodic online checks.
• Where hazards are identified, and risk levels are deemed unacceptable immediate action must be taken by you to remove the hazard or where this is not possible reduce the risk to acceptable levels. Hazards and actions must be recorded through near miss tool/ hold tool/ shift reports/ foreign body tool as necessary.
• Completion of risk assessments as coordinated by the QA Manager through scheduled requirements or where circumstances, equipment or people change from previously agreed standards.
• Ensure safe systems of work, standard operating procedures and health and safety requirements as documented under the GPN (Middlesbrough) Health, Safety and Welfare Manual are always followed. Where practices have moved or where improvements are possible, report these to the QA Manager or EHS Manager in good time for consideration.
• Support and drive the business accident prevention initiatives through the reporting of potential accidents through the Near Miss reporting tool.

Food Safety & Legality

Maintaining the integrity of our products and therefore the business itself is an absolute.  You must ensure this is always the case as we never knowingly compromise product safety, authenticity of legality.

• Responsible for ensuring the CCP’s are under control on a daily basis by documented periodic checks and verification of documented checks by production Operational Line Leaders and Senior Operators.
• Ensure all safety and quality requirements are complied with at all times.
• Ensure the positive release of production lines when moving from a gluten product to a gluten free product through a specified method of rapid allergen swabbing. Ensure results are documented and communicated to site teams.

Quality

Never knowingly compromise on quality, striving for the highest possible standards of quality in our

products, people and plant.

• Ensure all products meet the requirements of the internal specifications and are produced in line with the requirements of the Quality Management System. This will be ensured through completion of quality documentation in accordance with policies, procedures and work instructions.
• Ensure all relevant BRCGS, customer and regulatory standards are met and maintained as specified by the QA Manager and the Quality Management System.
• Ensure product quality by ensuring specifications and customer requirements are met.
• Ensure glass and hygiene audits are carried out as scheduled.
• Ensure product reference samples are maintained and ensure the testing of finished products and hygiene/ micro swabs in line with the sample plan.

• Ensure shelf-life testing of finished products is carried out as required.
• Issue and monitor controlled documents, site procedures, policies, work instructions and record sheets to production teams as required for all areas which affect food safety, quality, authenticity and legality.
• Adhere to document control procedure.

• Ensure the identification, issue and control of safety knives, scissors and scrapers in accordance with documented procedure.
• Verification of powders through pre-production tasting where appropriate in conjunction with production teams.
• Ensure collection of samples for daily taste panels. Ensure attendance with documented records retained.

• Report, investigate, log and communicate foreign body incidents and near misses.
• Liaise with Operations management and production personnel to ensure good manufacturing practices are followed and that good standards of hygiene and housekeeping are maintained.
• Ensure bi-daily GMP audits are carried out and findings acted upon in a timely manner. Ensure the required high standard of housekeeping and GMP across the site is always maintained.
• Ensure a daily audit of QA and production records is carried out and findings communicated to site teams.

• Recording and reporting of any non-conformances. Implement corrective actions as required and completion of reports, supporting RCA investigations.
• Monitor any held/ rejected stock incidents ensuring physical segregation/ identification and SAP quarantine of stock. Maintain hold and SAP systems to ensure full traceability.
• Investigate as appropriate any customer complaints as required by the QA Manager
• Support the operations team in ensuring all process monitoring requirements are completed in good time to the required standards.

• Highlight any material quality issues to the Operations and Supplier Quality Assurance Teams to ensure appropriate action is taken.
• Ensure a strong and open working relationship is maintained with the Operations and Supplier Quality Assurance Teams to be confident of high standards of communication to reduce the likelihood of product safety or quality failures.

• Actively champion quality by leading and participating in quality initiatives that can be acted upon by the site teams to deliver higher levels of quality and consistency.
• Drive to exceed the business Product Safety and Quality targets as communicated by the QA Manager.
• Participate in training and briefings as required, relating to food safety and quality issues.
• Carry out investigations and projects as directed by the QA Manager.
• Participate in BRCGS/ Customer audits as required.
• Responsible for the control and updating of all factory documentation to stay in line with company procedures and SOP’s.

People / Structure / Team Development

You must develop the best in everyone within their roles to ensure our success in achieving legal, customer, business, and individual targets.

• Identify skill gaps or training needs and highlight to the QA Manager and Training Coordinator
• Flexibility within the role towards the business needs to ensure holiday and absence cover within the team.
• Where opportunity lies for improving performance in Operations teams or individuals with regard to quality or safety you are to provide coaching as required and communicate to Operations Management
• Ensure the Quality Toolbox Initiative is communicated to the QA Team and the wider site team as necessary.
• Ensure the RCA tool is used by all QA Technicians with records maintained.

Communication

Good quality communications at the right time will ensure the highest standards of teamwork from all your colleagues within the business and make certain we are all pulling together in the right direction.

• Understanding of the quality KPI’s and wider operations teams and how your role can influence achievement.
• Maintain communications with the support functions of operations: Engineering, Warehouse, Production, R&D and The Technical Department to harness the wider team in delivering your targets.
• Responsible for attending daily operations meetings to relay any information relating to quality and quality documentation.

Planning & Control

You must maintain a structured approach to the delivery of the site strategy plan and the business targets, being aware of how you can positively contribute.

• Ensure and maintain the appropriate storage of both samples and quality assurance records to provide quick access and ease of identification in the case of any investigation or enquiry. Ensure retained samples are effectively rotated.
• Monitor aged stock and liaise with Operations teams to meet quality and food safety requirements whilst endeavouring to meet production plans.
• Carryout testing methods and techniques of quality indicators such as water activity/ calibrations/ weight data/ probe calibration/ chemical concentrations, ensuring an appropriate level of assurance and a strong due diligence defence.

Cost & Efficiencies

• Meeting standards consistently to achieve the cost base to continue our growth and drive world class performance, whilst always striving to find a better way. 
• Ensure effective cost control through best use of resources including QA consumables, minimisation of waste and maximisation of efficiency.
• Stringent adherence to all systems & procedures must be adopted by you. Early identification of ineffective procedures with proposed solutions. Ensure all performance logs, SAP inputs and reports are completed in a timely and accurate manner.
• You are encouraged to put forward project suggestions for process and cost improvements.
• Actively promote improvement activities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the team to deliver best return for the business first.

Workplace

The role is primarily based in the production/ warehouse areas, in a typical modern food manufacturing environment, although you may be required to work in other areas of the business from time to time.

Qualifications

• Previous food industry experience is essential, ideally time spent within the Quality/Technical department.
• Level 3 Food Hygiene
• HACCP qualification or experience
• Computer literacy (Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook) and SAP if possible
• Desirable: SAP knowledge, BRCGS experience, Internal Auditing, risk assessment

Competencies

• Accountability
• Proactive
• High level execution and attention to detail
• Teamwork & Cooperation
• Ability to think, decide and act strategically in a pressurised environment.
• Continuous improvement and problem-solving ability.
• Great communicator at all levels with the ability to influence and coach effectively

If you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please apply!

Where and How You Will Work

The opportunity will be based in Middlesbrough on shift pattern.

What We Would Like to Offer You

The opportunity to develop your career on a global stage, continuous learning through an on-demand learning platform, and a competitive compensation package including staff discounts, competitive salary.

About Glanbia

Glanbia is a better nutrition company with three divisions: Performance Nutrition, Health & Nutrition and Dairy Nutrition. Collectively and with our partners we offer an incredible breadth of expertise in nutrition. We employ a team of 5,800 people, work with global food and beverage companies, and sell our award-winning and market-leading brands and ingredients in more than 100 countries worldwide.

At Glanbia, we celebrate diversity, because we know that our individual strengths make us stronger together. We welcome and encourage interest from a variety of candidates. We will give your application consideration, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.