Food Safety Specialist

Company Profile

At CAVA we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

• Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in service of others.
• Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.
• Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.
• Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility.
• Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your food safety and regulatory knowledge while working in partnership with various restaurant operators in a fast-paced environment. The Food Safety Specialist will be the key contact on all food safety related items for our restaurant operators in the South-Central market. This role is perfect for someone who enjoys spending time in many different restaurants, we estimate up to 80% of the time will be in the field work.

It is also a great opportunity for someone who enjoys building others food safety knowledge through training, auditing and following up on open items.

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of the position and such duties and responsibilities may change without notice.

• Function as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Food Safety and Quality Assurance, regulations, and legislation as they pertain to restaurant operations, to ensure compliance with all regulatory, brand and 3rd party requirements.
• Conduct frequent on site assessments, identifying items that need to be addressed, provide coaching and training on food safety procedures, and following up to ensure items have been adequately addressed and progress is maintained.
• Establish relationships and work closely with restaurant operations, provide guidance on, and assure implementation of, Food Safety and Quality Assurance programs.
• Utilizing a variety of data inputs, analyze food safety information and trends to proactively improve food safety performance, communicate insights and propose recommendations.
• Manage investigations of reported issues, ensuring concerns are resolved in an effective and timely manner and corrective/preventative actions have been implemented.
• Develop relationships with key regulatory agencies and remain current on latest requirements, as well as communicating, training and educating restaurants on the requirements.
• Support team during food safety emergencies and ensure escalated imminent health hazards are avoided or urgently addressed.
• Champion and advocate a culture of food safety throughout the organization and support the implementation of the organizations food safety strategy by driving respective areas of the food safety program.
• Provide coaching and training to Above Restaurant Leaders around food safety standards, Operational SOPs, and conducting Self Assessments.
• Maintain relationships with 3rd party vendors, track certifications as required by local jurisdictions and proctor food safety exams.
• Participate in a variety of calls to offer coaching, support and answer questions on food safety programs and procedures.
• Assist with periodic product testing in collaboration with Operations and Culinary departments.
• Abide by policies and procedures that support the service mindset
• Manage timeline expectations within and across teams, deliver on our responsibilities accordingly
• Earn the trust of Team Members and Managers by consistently embracing CAVA’s values
• Show discipline in bringing consistent performance, communication, and attitude to the job every day
• Actively contribute to your department in order to complete tasks and meet company goals
• Recognize the emotional stake each Team Member has in personal and organizational success of this business