What are the responsibilities and job description for the QA Lab Technician position at Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.?
- Local management
- Excellent compensation and benefits and
- Pride in the product you will represent
It's about more than milk - it's our heartfelt pledge to people throughout New England to honor what Maine stands for - by offering the purist, freshest, most delicious products, while standing up for what's right, for our customers, for farmers, and for the environment. All of our milk is sourced from local farms in Maine and our facilities meet the highest quality-control standards. We produce fresh wholesome milk and dairy products which are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
In 2014 Oakhurst was acquired by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national dairy farmer-owned cooperative. Oakhurst is a wholly owned subsidiary of DFA and continues to operate independently.
The Quality Assurance Laboratory Technician position at Oakhurst Dairy provides an opportunity to contribute to the production of the highest quality dairy products in New England. A major aspect of this position will be to perform routine product analysis including bacteriological, chemical, and physical testing of raw and finished goods, microscopy on incoming raw milk, organoleptic analysis of finished products and operation of specialized lab equipment. This position will perform frequent audits of the manufacturing facility and will drive continuous improvement to meet internal quality standards. In addition, the Lab Technician is responsible for sanitation verification through visual inspection and swabbing activities, inspection of cleaning equipment for functionality and proper operation, post-cleaning allergen sampling and analysis and pre-operational inspections of food contact equipment. Collaboration with Production, Shipping and Maintenance staff will be integral.This is a day position - Tuesday-Thursday 8am-5pm and Friday-Saturday 6am-3pm.
Duties include:
- Ensure compliance with all company policies, local, state, and federal regulations.
- Ensure all customer specific policies, procedures, and specifications are followed.
- Properly test incoming and outgoing product for suitability and compliance with appropriate standards.
- Perform bacteriological, chemical, and physical tests on raw and finished goods to meet quality compliance goals.
- Conduct product sampling at various points through the supply chain.
- Perform microscopy on incoming raw milk.
- Perform packaging evaluations to ensure conformity to standards.
- Inspect the plant periodically and regularly for compliance with Oakhurst Dairy and the US Public Health regulations.
- Evaluate product temperatures throughout the manufacturing process.
- Verify cleaning completeness through visual inspection and swabbing activities.
- Inspect cleaning equipment for functionality and proper operation.
- Perform post-cleaning allergen verification and validation.
- Conduct pre-operational inspections in coordination with Production personnel.
- Review documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Maintain the Pathogen Environmental Monitoring program and participate in sampling activities.
- Troubleshoot quality issues with Production and Quality personnel.
- Recommend changes or improvements to the laboratory procedures, plant inspections, process control or cleaning and sanitizing programs.
- Enforce quality standards, GMPs and SOPs.
- Maintain and enforce the HACCP and SQF programs.
- Attend and participate in the quality meetings.
- Obtain IMS certification through the State Department of Agriculture.
- Maintain a safe, clean, organized work area throughout the facility and laboratory.
- Keep the Quality Assurance Manager informed of all quality results and issues.
- Performing all other duties deemed appropriate, necessary, required, or directed by the Quality Assurance Manager.
Job Requirements:
- Knowledge of bacterial plating methods.
- Experience with compound light microscopy.
- Demonstration of aseptic laboratory techniques.
- Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Ability to thrive in individual and team environments.
- Strong oral, written and interpersonal skills.
- Experience with GMPs and writing SOPs is a plus.
Education Requirements and Experience:
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a 2- year degree in Dairy or Food Science, Biological Science or a related field. A 4-year degree or 3-5 years in a QA/QC environment is preferred but not required.
