Food Safety & Quality Specialist in silver spring
Listed on 2026-08-20
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Quality Assurance - QA/QC
Food Quality & Safety, Regulatory Compliance Specialist, Quality Control - QC Analysts/Managers
Food Safety & Quality Specialist
Latin Goodness Foods, LLC (DBA Mas Panadas) is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Specialist to own the day-to-day execution and continuous improvement of food safety and quality systems. This is a practitioner-level role for a credentialed food safety professional with experience in HACCP plans, SQF documentation, and operations in a USDA-regulated or FSMA-regulated facility.
Mas Panadas is a USDA-inspected, SQF-certified food manufacturer producing retail empanadas and co-manufactured products for national retail accounts including Walmart, Costco, and Publix. We operate a 12,000 sq ft production facility in Rockville, MD under daily USDA FSIS oversight, with an SQF score of 95 and active HACCP plans covering raw and cooked beef and chicken. We are in a period of rapid growth - new retail authorizations, private label expansion, and a NRTE-to-RTE product conversion are all in motion - and this role is central to executing that growth safely and compliantly.
PositionSummary
The Food Safety & Quality Specialist will lead food safety system development, own HACCP plan authorship and revision, drive SQF compliance, and make real-time food safety judgments on the production floor. You will also develop the QA team's technical capability over time.
Key Responsibilities- HACCP Plan Ownership & Revision
- Own and maintain all active HACCP plans - currently covering raw ground beef, raw ground chicken, and co-manufactured gluten-free products
- Lead HACCP revisions required by active operational changes: transition from raw to precooked meat sourcing, and NRTE-to-RTE conversion for private label Costco product
- Conduct hazard analyses for new products, ingredient changes, and process modifications
- Ensure all HACCP plans remain current, validated, and audit-ready at all times
- Train shift supervisors and QA staff on CCP monitoring procedures and corrective action requirements
- SQF System Management
- Manage and continuously improve the SQF Quality System - maintain all required documentation, records, and evidence packages
- Lead pre-audit preparation and internal mock audits; serve as primary liaison during SQF third-party audits
- Drive corrective action and preventive action (CAPA) processes following observations or non-conformances
- Maintain SQF-required training records, GMP documentation, and master sanitation schedules
- Identify and close gaps in the quality system between audit cycles - not just at audit time
- USDA & Regulatory Compliance
- Serve as the primary internal resource for daily USDA FSIS inspection activities - build and maintain a professional working relationship with the on-site inspector
- Ensure all regulatory records (temperature logs, cook logs, sanitation pre-ops, SSOP records) are accurate, complete, and accessible
- Respond to inspector observations, NRs (Noncompliance Records), and regulatory questions with appropriate urgency and documentation
- Monitor and communicate changes in FSIS regulations, FSMA requirements, and SQF standards that affect facility operations
- Food Safety Program Development
- Own the allergen control program - maintain and enforce cross-contact prevention procedures between gluten-containing empanadas and gluten-free co-manufactured product lines
- Develop and manage the environmental monitoring program - swab schedule, testing protocols, trend analysis, and corrective actions
- Lead modified atmosphere packaging (MAP/gas flush) validation and documentation as the facility installs nitrogen gas flush on the vertical bagger
- Maintain and improve supplier approval and incoming material verification programs
- Own the facility's food defense and traceability programs
- Production Floor Engagement & QA Team Development
- Be a visible presence on the production floor - conduct GMP observations, verify CCP monitoring, and reinforce food safety culture across shifts
- Coach and develop QA staff on technical food safety competencies; support the QA Manager's development toward SQF Practitioner certification
- Lead pre-shift and shift-change food safety communication with supervisors
- Investigate and close food safety incidents and customer complaints with root cause analysis and documented…
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