Food Safety Specialist /Food Quality Specialist

Role DescriptionA Food Safety Specialist / Food Quality Specialist is responsible for supporting and maintaining food safety, quality assurance, quality control, compliance, inspection, testing, and continuous improvement activities across food production, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution operations. The role ensures that food products, raw materials, production processes, facilities, and documentation comply with established food safety standards, quality specifications, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements.Key ResponsibilitiesImplement and maintain food safety and quality management systems across operational and production activities.Monitor food production, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution processes to ensure compliance with established quality and food safety standards.Conduct routine inspections of raw materials, ingredients, production areas, equipment, packaging, and finished products.Monitor product quality, hygiene, sanitation, temperature controls, allergen controls, and food safety practices.Support the implementation and monitoring of HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, prerequisite programs, and food safety procedures.Monitor critical control points (CCPs), operational prerequisite programs, and food safety control measures.Collect samples and coordinate microbiological, chemical, physical, sensory, and other laboratory testing where applicable.Review laboratory results, inspection findings, production records, and quality data to identify potential risks or deviations.Verify raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, and finished products against approved specifications.Identify and document quality deviations, non-conformities, contamination risks, product defects, and food safety concerns.Investigate customer complaints, product-quality issues, food safety incidents, and process deviations.Conduct root cause analysis and support the implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).Assist with internal, supplier, customer, certification, and regulatory audits.Prepare audit documentation, inspection records, corrective-action reports, and supporting evidence.Follow up on audit findings and ensure corrective actions are completed within required timelines.Support product release, product hold, rejection, rework, withdrawal, and recall activities where required.Maintain product traceability, batch records, inspection records, testing results, and food safety documentation.Verify cleaning, sanitation, personal hygiene, pest-control, waste-management, and environmental-control programs.Conduct routine hygiene and GMP inspections and report areas requiring corrective action.Monitor employee compliance with food safety, hygiene, personal protective equipment, and operational procedures.Provide food safety and quality training, awareness sessions, and guidance to production and operational employees.Maintain accurate food safety, quality, inspection, laboratory, supplier, and compliance records.Prepare quality reports, food safety reports, inspection summaries, trend analyses, and performance indicators.Monitor food safety and quality KPIs and identify recurring issues, trends, and improvement opportunities.Evaluate and monitor suppliers, raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, and external service providers.Support supplier audits, supplier-quality reviews, non-conformity investigations, and corrective-action follow-up.Work closely with production, procurement, warehouse, maintenance, R&D, logistics, and operations teams to resolve quality and food safety issues.Support new product development, product trials, process validation, shelf-life studies, and quality-approval activities where applicable.Ensure effective product identification, traceability, storage, handling, and transportation controls.Support regulatory inspections, certification activities, customer audits, and food safety reviews.Maintain confidentiality of company, customer, supplier, product, laboratory, and food safety information.Ensure food safety and quality activities comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and applicable industry standards.Identify opportunities to improve food safety controls, product quality, process consistency, waste reduction, and operational efficiency.Maintain current knowledge of food safety regulations, quality standards, food technologies, industry practices, and emerging food safety risks.Contribute to continuous improvement of food safety performance, product quality, regulatory compliance, process control, customer satisfaction, supplier quality, and quality-management systems.QualificationsBachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Safety, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field.Previous experience in food safety, food quality, quality assurance, quality control, food manufacturing, food processing, or a related industry is preferred.Strong understanding of HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, food safety management systems, quality assurance, and quality-control principles.Good knowledge of food hygiene, sanitation, allergen management, traceability, contamination prevention, product testing, and food safety risk assessment.Familiarity with applicable food safety regulations, certification standards, customer requirements, and industry best practices.Experience with food safety inspections, internal audits, supplier audits, non-conformity management, root cause analysis, and CAPA is advantageous.Strong analytical, investigative, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.Excellent attention to detail and strong commitment to food safety and product quality.Good communication, interpersonal, training, coordination, and teamwork skills.Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.Familiarity with quality-management systems, laboratory systems, ERP systems, traceability systems, or food-production software is advantageous.Relevant certifications in HACCP, ISO 22000, Food Safety, Internal Auditing, Quality Management, or equivalent qualifications are advantageous.Ability to conduct inspections, collect samples, review testing results, analyze quality data, and prepare technical reports.Ability to manage multiple inspections, quality issues, audits, corrective actions, documentation requirements, and deadlines.Strong understanding of food safety documentation, quality procedures, inspection requirements, and regulatory compliance.Ability to work effectively with production employees, quality teams, suppliers, auditors, regulators, customers, and cross-functional departments.Professional, responsible, proactive, analytical, detail-oriented, and quality-focused.Strong commitment to food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction, hygiene, traceability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.