Quality Technical Specialist - West Cork

Quality Technical Specialist - West Cork.
This is a contract posting of 11 months' duration.

Job Overview:
Co-ordinating, reporting and improving all Quality-related aspects of Production. This will involve communicating with suppliers, production, Quality, services, HR, sales and marketing / commercial, customers, and third-party producers / packers.

Key Responsibilities:
• Increase Quality / Compliance awareness and competence amongst Production Operators and Management
• Work with Operators and Manager to drive continuous improvement and change control for Quality standards in Production
• Co-ordinate and monitor investigation of Quality issues (including customer complaints) ensuring that:
- Site Continuous Improvements (CI’s) tools are used to identify root cause(s) and corrective actions and actions are implemented and closed out to prevent reoccurrence
- Site Quality standards are maintained,
- Process is fully documented,
- Timelines are met,
- Key stakeholders receive relevant communications,
• Lead the traceability and records system and CI’s for efficient and controlled storage and recovery of records and easy and fast traceability.
• Conduct (with relevant team leaders) HACCP, TACCP & VACCP reviews
• Implement, report, monitor sampling and testing plans, and modify
• Communicate with / delegate to Lab Analysts to ensure production & customer requirements are carried out
• Carry out trends on lab analyses to identify issues to support production and customers
• Issue stock control reports, organise out of date stock reviews/dispositions and final product Quality reports.
• Certify final product, send out pre-shipment samples and co-ordinate test samples
• Lead and support customer and regulatory audits, including preparing the plant for audits
• Carry out GMP (Hygiene) and Quality System audits and work with Ops and Manager to action and address the issues,
• Co-ordinate and prepare for GFSI, Kosher, Halal audits and third party audits
• Work with production to modify / update production SOPs, support with training plans and training packages,
• Work with DAFM and DEFRA re certification and product release and lead audits and inspections with them.
• Co-ordinate NPD for product handover, HACCP reviews, shelf-life analysis, validations and tracking,
• Support process and CIP validation,
• Engage with third-party producers, packers, drawing up service level agreements, monitoring performance and auditing as required,
• Work with / support other Quality technical teams to ensure flexibility.

Qualifications and experience requirements:
• Degree qualified (in a science discipline)
• HACCP qualified
• Familiarity with the following:
- customer and regulatory standards
- customer and internal specifications
- Production Quality procedures
- supplier approval and risk assessments
• Trained and experienced in conducting compliance audits
• Strong knowledge of process flow and CIP systems
• Solid problem-solving skills
• trained in use of site CI problem-solving tools
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Positive interpersonal and influencing skills
• Solid analytical skills
• Strong attention to detail