Quality Specialist - C Shift; Nights

Quality Specialist – C Shift (Nights)

Shift

Hours:

7:00 PM to 7:00 AM
Schedule: Sun–Wed on long weeks;
Sun–Tues on short weeks (2-2-3 rotating 12-hour nights)
Location: Independence, MO | Unilever Foods

This role exists to provide dedicated Quality leadership and real-time decision-making for the overnight shift, helping ensure every product is safe, compliant, and made to specification while keeping operations moving responsibly. You will be part of a team that believes in doing work that matters for people and the planet.

As the on-shift Quality authority, you will lead the response when issues arise, guide Quality and Lab Technicians, partner with Operations, and create a clear handoff to the day-shift Quality team. Because here, we do not just hire for jobs. We invite you to be part of something bigger.

• Serve as the empowered Quality decision-maker on C Shift, including product disposition, release or rework authorization, and stop/go decisions that protect consumer safety and product conformance.
• Ensure compliance with sanitation requirements, approved Quality Specifications, food safety requirements, current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), site standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Own on-shift product Hold activity, including identification, blocking, investigation, documentation, escalation, and coordination of final disposition with Operations and Planning.
• Enter and manage Holds in SAP/Quality One, initiate E-Incidents, and follow the site Hold Process.
• Identify, document, and advance deviations and non-conformances, including SNCRs, root-cause capture, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) handoff, and appropriate escalation.
• Lead the Quality response during upset events, technology gaps, and abnormal conditions by assessing risk, containing affected product, directing rework or disposition, and partnering with Operations on root-cause analysis.
• Provide technical guidance and coverage for on-shift Quality Lab Technicians, including analytical testing, troubleshooting, method execution, results review, and follow-through.
• Act as the front-line Quality leader for the shift by setting priorities, coaching Quality Technicians, representing Quality in Tier meetings, and building accountability for Quality at every level.
• Partner with Production, shift leadership, and other functions to identify and execute process and material improvements.
• Deliver accurate, data-driven shift handovers and report shift Quality performance, open Holds, deviations, and upset-event status to Quality leadership.

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Biology, Food Science, Regulatory Science, Chemistry, Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum of two years of quality-related experience, preferably in food manufacturing.
• Ability to make independent, real-time Quality decisions and lead through upset events with limited on-site salaried support.
• Strong analytical, math, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate data into action and deliver clear shift-to-shift handovers.
• Willingness and ability to work the C Shift night schedule: 7:00 PM-7:00 AM, Sun-Wed on long weeks and Sun-Tues on short weeks.

• Working knowledge of HACCP plans, FSMA, USDA requirements, sanitation principles, microbiology, food safety, and quality assurance policies and regulations.
• Front-line leadership or supervisory experience, with the ability to coach and direct Quality Technicians and Lab Technicians.
• Experience with SAP, including SAP QM, EWM, Quality One, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; lean manufacturing, statistical analytics, dry food manufacturing equipment, and digital Quality systems are also valued.

Unilever…