Quality Specialist, 1st Shift

Since 1912, Phillips Distilling Company (PDC) has been producing high-quality spirits and popular brands. As one of America's oldest family-owned spirits companies, we pride ourselves on our independent spirit and our commitment to innovation, quality, and community. Phillips Distilling Company is currently inviting candidates to apply for a full-time Quality Specialist opportunity. The candidate selected for this role will enjoy competitive compensation, annual bonus potential, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package!

The Quality Specialist will be scheduled to work Tuesday - Friday from 5:00am to 3:00pm.

Classification: Non-Exempt
Department: Quality Assurance
Reports To: Quality Supervisor 

Summary:
The Quality Specialist is responsible for promoting quality within the organization. The primary focus of this position is to maintain and enhance the Company product standards library, ensuring ingredient acceptability, and supporting the quality management system and initiatives. Additionally, 25% of this role will fulfill Quality Technician responsibilities.

Essential Functions:

• Performs Quality Technician duties (25% of role).
• Maintains calibration and verification of laboratory equipment.
• Conducts thorough testing and updates incoming ingredients and produced intermediates to ensure they consistently align with specified requirements, both for internal and external stakeholders.
• Files and maintains COAs &SDSs from ingredient receipts to document repository.
• Collaborates cross functionally with internal teams to ensure product quality and compliance.
• Creates inventory alerts when procedures, practices or specifications deviate.
• Assists in investigations for issues related to intermediates, ingredients, and customer complaints.
• Reviews on-hold inventory report and updates status of the inventory.
• Ensures the standard library is up to date by effectively managing inventory within specified standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, Quality, and Blending, to transition new or updated formulas from bench to production.
• Completes final evaluation of test batches prior to release.
• Reviews upcoming product expirations, communicates with sales, updates dispositions and initiates destructions accordingly.
• Reviews upcoming ingredient expirations, updates dispositions and initiates destructions accordingly.
• Actively contributes to continued development and execution of supplier management and food safety initiatives.
• Complete and analyze supplier risk assessments while maintaining related documents in accordance with the supplier management program.
• Participate in quality audits, both internal and vendor audits.
• Assist in maintenance of facility food fraud program.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Additional Functions:

• Living and abiding by the Phillips Way and the company’s core values: Communication & Collaboration, Dignity & Respect, Accountability, Customer Service and Community.

Required Competencies:

• Must have the ability to work and participate in an environment that expects all employees to support wellness, safety, quality, and environmental responsibility.
• Must have the ability to think critically, problem solve and choose appropriate course of action based on priority and relative factors.
• Must have computer/technology knowledge and skills necessary to perform job responsibilities.
• Must have knowledge of quality principles and industry standards.

Required Education & Experience:

• Ability to maintain current knowledge, skills and/or certifications relevant to assigned job responsibilities.
• An associate degree in a physical science field of study preferred (Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, etc.)
• 2+ years of related work experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience considered. 

Preferred Education & Experience:

• Previous experience working in the food or beverage industry.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
None

Work Location & Travel Required:
This position works on-site reporting to the Princeton location. Work-related travel is occasionally required.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:
This position requires the ability to sit and use a computer for extended periods of time, including the dexterity to frequently type on a keybo