Field Quality Specialist

Salary Range: $90,000 to $100,000

Make a Difference in YOUR Career!

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.  

We are the world’s largest bottler for retailers and A-brands.  Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe and North America.  Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.  

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game.  We are solutions-based.  We are innovative.  We seek out new challenges and conquer them.  This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too:  Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.  

Stop and think: how would YOU put our drinks on every table?  

Summary Description:

The Field Quality Specialist is responsible for serving as a key liaison between Corporate Quality, Product Development, Lab Services, and the manufacturing plants, and will work closely with the Plant Managers and Plant Quality Managers to implement, expand, and monitor the programs associated with food quality, food safety, and cost containment, and to assist with the introduction of new products, processes, and procedures.

 Essential Functions:

• Knowledge of FDA and GMP guidelines for food manufacturing facilities
• Knowledge in HACCP and GFSI (preferably SQF) principles
• Understanding of sanitation principles utilized in a food manufacturing facility
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, and organizational skills with demonstrated ability to teach, motivate, and lead plant personnel
• Actively Participate in Support and Training activities related to Food Safety and Quality.
• Develop training program targeted for line associates and quality technicians that explains in unique and memorable ways the “why” of food safety programs.
• Review plant food safety and quality programs and practices to ascertain compliance to Refresco juice food safety and quality program, regulatory, and code requirements.
• Develop associate training programs for new programs, systems or products based on training received
• Work with groups involved in change management to develop appropriate food safety audit systems for new programs, systems, and product lines.
• Receive hands-on training in the key food safety areas of each facility: Receiving, Batching, Manufacturing, Sanitation, and Quality
• Support each manufacturing plant through frequent on-site visits.
• Coordinate calendar of visits and designated tasks with Corporate Quality and Plant and Plant Quality Managers.
• Execute Corporate Audit Program. Support and assist the primary plant participants during 3rd party audits. Independently conduct routine Refresco Food Safety/Defense; GMP; and HACCP audits of the manufacturing plants, outside warehouses, co-packers, and suppliers. 
• Document and distribute audit results to facility and to Corporate Quality within one week after audit. Identify and prioritize audit deficiencies, request corrective actions.
• Review corrective actions submitted by facility and approve if appropriate. Develop plan to audit corrective action compliance on an ongoing basis. 
• Act as a training resource for the manufacturing facilities. Assist with Food Safety and Quality support and training at each facility
• Identify and communicate each facility’s Food Safety and Quality Best Practices, and work with other juice facilities to implement.
• Identify Food Safety and Quality roadblocks and restrictions at each facility and work closely with Plant Management and associates to develop action plans for improvement.
• Develop matrix to monitor and assess overall status of Refresco Food Safety and Quality Program at each facility. Using the Refresco Food Safety and Quality Program and audits codes as a guide, identify appropriate factors for the matrix, and issue results for each facility on a yearly basis.

• Identify all projects that must run under change management, and ensure the execution of the Change Management process occurs for each.
• Act as the Corporate Quality change management sponsor
• Using strong interpersonal and leadership skills work with a variety of functional areas including but not limited to manufacturing, engineering, quality, sanitation, warehousing to successfully implement and maintain programs and practices to support change management.
• Develop program to validate continuing compliance of Change Management activitie