Lab Technician 3 PM-11 PM M-F $21.89/hour

You know our brands, The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin, Kaukauna, Merkts and Price's, which elicit smiles across America. They are daring, responsible and deliver dairy goodness. As you imagine, this mindset is contagious! Bel Brands USA is part of an international family company, which has led an ambitious growth strategy for 150 years and is today the world's third largest branded cheese company. If like our 12,000 employees globally, you want to have an impact in an entrepreneurial and demanding company, and share smiles around the world, dare to live the Bel experience!

Be you. Be ambitious. Be Bel.

Bel Brands USA has been named Chicago's "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" for 10 years in a row. The company is headquartered in Chicago and operates three manufacturing plants in Little Chute, WI, Leitchfield, KY, and Brookings, SD.

Job Description Summary

Lab Technicians perform quality control inspections and various testing throughout the process to ensure conformance to specifications.  This position also coaches team members in other departments to better understand how their actions affect manufacturing a high-quality product.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Collects analytical, microbiological, sensory, raw material receiving, storage areas and any other samples for pre-operation, in-process and finished product testing.
• Performs statistical calculations relating to test data.  Enters test data into the electronic data systems such as Quartz, Excel, and other data management as required. Analyzes test results for trends.
• Attends production PCS meetings.
• Mentor operators, cooks, supervisors and others to help understand how to produce a high-quality product.
• Prepares media, sterile sampling, equipment and testing supplies. 
• Performs titration testing relating to sanitation chemical concentrations in production areas. 
• Technicians obtain state milk license as required for milk testing. 
• Performs milk and whey (RO) testing in alignment with state regulations.  Prepares positive and negative controls for milk regulatory testing.
• Calibrates Milk-O-Scan machines. 
• Performs periodic testing relating to sanitation effectiveness in production areas. 
• Performs required tests, compares results against specifications, and provides required test result documentation.
• Performs periodic chemical and physical testing of samples submitted for sensory, microbiological and/or analytical testing.
• Performs verification of product, labels and packaging. Verifies correct labels, ease of package opening, package sealing, date and date format, correct product, master cases, legibility of printing, any additional packaging.
• Distributes employee cheese, first checking for product release.  Utilizes Non-conform sheet to maintain and clean out samples from cooler.
• Maintains all related documents for analytical, Process, sensory, microbiological and any other testing.
• Conducts ATP and culture swabbing of equipment during pre-operation and operational checks.
• Conducts air sampling in production areas.
• Performs weight verification of retail and or final case.
• Reports results to production and quality management.
• Conducts rechecks as needed. Assists key in coordination of quality rechecks. Coordinates disposal of rechecks as well.
• Coordinates calibration and maintenance of laboratory test equipment to ensure proper working order.