Food Safety & Quality Lead

Position Summary

Assists the Food Safety & Quality Manager in overseeing the day-to-day plant operations of the Department and monitoring plant processes to ensure that the regulatory, business, and customers’ quality and food safety requirements are achieved and maintained. Involved in all stages of the production process, from receiving raw materials to final packaging, and works closely with other departments to identify and resolve quality issues.

• Ensure continuous improvement and adequacy of quality control systems to support regulatory, business and customer expectations.
• Monitor employees for compliance with GMPs, GWPs and company standard operating procedures.
• Train employees on company food handling policies to increase awareness of GMPs and food safety.
• Routinely monitor processing and finished products for acceptance to target or specifications.
• Conduct daily, weekly and monthly internal inspections.
• Report findings to relevant departments and follow up on corrective actions to ensure timely completion.
• Perform pre-operational checks (when required) and environmental swabbing.
• Communicate findings to leadership and other departments regarding non-conformances such as product quality and GMP issues.
• Perform daily quality inspections, evaluation of retained samples, random product inspections, returned product inspections and newly developed product shelf‑life assessments.
• Assist in coordinating testing results for finished products, raw materials and packaging components.
• Collect product samples as needed, including for microbiological testing.
• Ensure all daily records are completed accurately and submitted on time; sign paperwork as required.
• Assist in the investigation of food safety incidents and customer complaints, providing functional support to the team as needed.
• Help set QA/QC compliance objectives and ensure targets are achieved.
• Oversee the “On Hold” product program, including status, release and destruction of “Rejected” products.
• Act as a backup for team members.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Strong time‑management skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work well under pressure, in a demanding environment and adapt to changing priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including grammar and composition.
• Capability to work collaboratively with others and independently.
• Strong analytical, critical‑thinking, collaboration and problem‑solving skills.
• Professional demeanor, honesty, integrity, drive, tenacity, determination and willingness to learn.

• Desktop or laptop computer.
• Telephone with voicemail.
• Networked copier, printer and fax machine.
• Google Apps (Chrome, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, etc.).
• Knowledge of product information and inventory control management systems (preferred).

• High School Diploma plus five or more years of full‑time related work experience in food service, manufacturing and/or distribution product food safety and quality.
• Internal candidates with extensive institutional knowledge in lieu of five years of experience may be considered.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology or related scientific field (preferred).
• HACCP and/or FDA Preventive Control Qualified Individual certification, SQF and/or BRC Practitioner certification (preferred).

• Medical and prescription drug coverage starting after 30 days.
• Dental, vision and other voluntary plans.
• Pre‑tax savings accounts.
• Profit sharing.

Halperns’ Steak & Seafood is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status or disability.