Quality Assurance Lead

About Cerelia

Cerelia is a global leader in ready-to-bake and ready-to-eat doughs, proudly serving customers across North America, Europe, and Asia with high-quality products that operators and food lover's trust. As experts in dough and batter, Cerelia produces a wide range of items—including rolled and pizza dough, cookies, crepes, pancakes, pastries, waffles, and clean-label options - sold through food service, retailers, industrial partners, and private label programs.

With cutting-edge production capabilities, more than 40 years of know-how, and a deep commitment to sustainability and innovation, Cerelia combines global strength with a "small-town" passion for partnership, product quality, and culinary creativity.

We are seeking a Lead Quality Assurance Technician who is passionate about quality, food safety, and team leadership. This role provides day-to-day direction to QA Technicians and helps ensure production quality standards, food safety requirements, regulatory expectations, GFSI-benchmarked standards such as SQF, customer specifications, and internal quality policies are consistently met across all shifts. This hands-on leadership position is responsible for planning and coordinating retain sample bake-offs and testing, assembling and reviewing documentation, overseeing and performing equipment calibration, leading testing activities, and assisting verification of corrective and preventive actions.

The Lead QA Technician serves as a visible presence on the production floor, reinforcing quality and food safety expectations through engaged, hands-on leadership. Initially, this role will report directly to the Quality Assurance Manager for CAPA support, lead manufacturing training, and transition-related responsibilities. The role will then transition to reporting to the Quality Assurance Supervisor and will be based at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Whitehall, Ohio.

This list is not all-inclusive; other duties may be assigned by management as business needs require.

• Conduct internal audits to verify that the quality management system and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are followed thoroughly and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Organize, and compile all records completed by operators and QA Technicians, including batch records, CCP monitoring records, and associated production forms.
• Maintain laboratory and testing equipment and oversee the lab equipment calibration program, including review of maintenance and calibration records, and monitor lab supplies inventory
• Support allergen control and gluten-free program requirements, including adherence to segregation practices, gluten-free room protocols, and validated allergen changeover and verification activities.
• Perform data entry of quality results, including retain bake-off outcomes, incident reports, consumer complaints, and other pertinent quality information.
• Prepare, pack, and submit samples for transport to third-party testing laboratories in accordance with established procedures.
• Assist in investigations into non-conformances, consumer complaints, and major defects; assist in identifying and implementing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Assist with the Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP), including environmental swabbing, sample preparation, and identification of hard-to-clean areas.
• Perform sanitation SOP verification activities and conduct sanitation validation swabbing.
• Oversee the daily activities of QA Technicians, including providing guidance and coaching, and ensuring all deliverables are completed accurately and on time.
• Train QA Technicians on inspection methods, documentation practices, testing procedures, and the operation of analytical equipment; identify ongoing training needs and skill gaps.
• Liaise with Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, and other departments to resolve quality issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Participate in internal and external audits (e.g., SQF, GFCO, customer audits) and regulatory inspections.
• Follow established programs, policies, and practices to produce safe, quality foods that meet SQF, regulatory, company, and customer requirements.
• Assist the Quality Supervisor with food safety and quality projects, objectives, and departmental initiatives.
• Provide vacation and absence coverage for QA Technicians on all shifts as needed.

• Follow company safety policies and practices, fostering a safe workplace and environment for ourselves and our co-workers.
• Prioritize safety while carrying out daily activities.
• Report any unsafe acts or conditions to the immediate production supervisor.
• Understand cleaning chemicals and their handling procedures.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and sanitary working environment always.

• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant quality assurance experience, preferably in food manufacturing; an associate degree in a related field (Quality Assurance, Food…