Quality Control Technologist

Van Drunen Farms • Momence, IL

9d • $80,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Van Drunen Family of Companies is growing! JOB OVERVIEW: The Quality Technologist acts as the functional expert on all Quality and Food Safety aspects of the respective plants. This role is responsible for conducting quality verification protocols to ensure that all finished products meet with Quality and Food Safety Specifications and regulatory requirements including FSMA. The Quality Technologist enables conformance to specification through the verification quality control protocols and/or monitoring of sampling and testing plans applied to packaging and product. This resource also enables the reduction of food safety incidents and non-quality costs by the immediate escalation of any out of conformance condition detected during verification activities. In addition, this role supports the maintenance of quality knowledge and skills required in operation associates for proper execution of quality control protocols and proper data documentation and records keeping. .DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintain and keep thorough quality related records. Communicate all relevant information to the QC Manager and or Quality Director. Responsible for shift-based quality verification or monitoring activities for raw ingredients, packaging and finished product. Verify conformance of finished product and/or in-process for Product Quality and Food Safety. Verify conformance of finished product attributes and product defects following quality approved standards and procedures. Verify proper execution of Code dates monitoring protocols to ensure product traceability is not compromised. Verify scale calibration accuracy/ activities. Initiate escalations for non-conforming products and processes. Provide support in incident investigations to enable proper risk assessment. Ensures that only approved documents are used in the plant for quality related activities and archives quality related records for further analysis or auditing purposes. Provides quality-related information to operators to enable quality control activities. Escalate to process areas any out-of-conformance incidents and collaborate in troubleshooting by providing all information needed on product quality attributes until the process and product are back in control. Identify and isolate out-of-specification materials, including placing products on hold, initiating non-conformances, and escalating to the correct associates. They are expected to collaborate closely with Production to ensure all non-conforming products are captured in-house. Coordinate all activities which include Root Cause Analysis, CAPAs. Ensure record accuracy and closure and create training as needed. Verify that procedures to complete quality-related documentation are properly executed and information in the records is complete. Sign off all quality check paperwork for all lines in accordance with company and FSMA guidelines. Provides coaching and training to operators to ensure proper execution of quality control protocols and proper record management control. Member of the Food Safety/ HACCP team and Internal Auditors group to support quality and food safety continuous improvement program and CAPA’s execution. Functional expert of the Quality and Food Safety aspects of the respective plants. Represent Quality during Regulatory, 3rd Party, and Customer Audits for respective plants. May serve as backup for Sr. Quality Technician or Quality Technician or Plant Quality Manager.

Requirements

• 5+ years in a quality role within the food and beverage industry.
• Knowledge of CFR 111 or CFR 117 is preferred.
• Experience leading customer and regulatory agency audits
• Additional knowledge in sanitation management and/or sanitation preferred.
• Experience with GFSI Quality Systems such as SQF, BRC, FSSC22000
• Promotes quality excellence and team member buy-in through their leadership approach.
• Ability to remain professional and courteous in all circumstances with external stakeholders and other internal teams.
• Displays a proactive approach and is self-directed in taking the initiative to ask questions, correct learning gaps, and continuously advance their knowledge, skills, and abilities as related to plant quality initiatives.
• Can apply critical thinking skills that lead to appropriate troubleshooting and problem resolution.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Must be tech-savvy and a quick learner.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, e-mail
• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field (Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, and/or Biochemistry) preferred
• The employee is regularly required to stand; sit; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
• This job operates in a production environment and utilizes testing equipment and processes around our manufacturing equipment.
• We operate under good manufacturing practices which require wearing safety glasses and closed-toe shoes.

Nice To Haves

• PCQI certification is preferred.
• Additional knowledge in sanitation management and/or sanitation preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field (Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, and/or Biochemistry) preferred

Responsibilities

• Maintain and keep thorough quality related records.
• Communicate all relevant information to the QC Manager and or Quality Director.
• Responsible for shift-based quality verification or monitoring activities for raw ingredients, packaging and finished product.
• Verify conformance of finished product and/or in-process for Product Quality and Food Safety.
• Verify conformance of finished product attributes and product defects following quality approved standards and procedures.
• Verify proper execution of Code dates monitoring protocols to ensure product traceability is not compromised.
• Verify scale calibration accuracy/ activities.
• Initiate escalations for non-conforming products and processes.
• Provide support in incident investigations to enable proper risk assessment.
• Ensures that only approved documents are used in the plant for quality related activities and archives quality related records for further analysis or auditing purposes.
• Provides quality-related information to operators to enable quality control activities.
• Escalate to process areas any out-of-conformance incidents and collaborate in troubleshooting by providing all information needed on product quality attributes until the process and product are back in control.
• Identify and isolate out-of-specification materials, including placing products on hold, initiating non-conformances, and escalating to the correct associates.
• Coordinate all activities which include Root Cause Analysis, CAPAs.
• Ensure record accuracy and closure and create training as needed.
• Verify that procedures to complete quality-related documentation are properly executed and information in the records is complete.
• Sign off all quality check paperwork for all lines in accordance with company and FSMA guidelines.
• Provides coaching and training to operators to ensure proper execution of quality control protocols and proper record management control.
• Member of the Food Safety/ HACCP team and Internal Auditors group to support quality and food safety continuous improvement program and CAPA’s execution.
• Functional expert of the Quality and Food Safety aspects of the respective plants.
• Represent Quality during Regulatory, 3rd Party, and Customer Audits for respective plants.
• May serve as backup for Sr. Quality Technician or Quality Technician or Plant Quality Manager.

Benefits

• This role may further qualify for supplemental compensation in the form of bonus and incentive programs, contingent upon achieving pre-established individual and company performance metrics.
• Benefits Eligible: Yes
• Benefits Available: 2026-benefits-summary.pdf

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees