Lab Food Safety Technician

A Typical Day

The Food Safety Technician is responsible for the accurate performance of gathering samples in accordance with HCC procedures for all microbiological and chemical tests surrounding environmental monitoring and Food Safety programs.

Job Responsibilities

• Must be able to multi-task and organize priorities
• Participate in food safety and sanitation root cause analysis and improvement activities when required.
• Must be able to follow detailed instructions.
• Active participation and ownership in your training and development program and associated activities, classes and events, which will be held before, during, after shifts and during scheduled days off.
• Display critical thinking and trouble shooting skills
• Conduct audits and spot checks as assigned along with regularly scheduled monitoring of chemical handling/receiving, Hygiene zone, HACCP CCP Verifications, GMP checks, equipment inspections, pest control and audit finding verifications.
• Work well with minimal supervision
• In the event that the Food Safety Technician is unable to perform their food safety duties, the Food Safety Supervisor will perform the duties.
• Assist with assigned projects and responsibilities as need.
• Ensure prompt transmission of accurate data and information to the plant and Food Safety staff regarding trends, concerns and plant observations.
• Prioritize safety above all other job duties by having a safety first approach at all times.
• Participate in departmental safety teams.
• Help coach and train teammates and participate in on the job, buddy training.
• Be able to effectively communicate with all departments
• Report any safety issues, observations, opportunities to your teams and follow up.
• Annual completion of OSHA required safety training.
• Place high priority on food safety and sanitation by understanding and executing HCC’s food safety and sanitation policies and procedures.
• Hold self and others accountable to HCC’s food safety & sanitation guidelines and policies by communicating any food safety incident, observation, or opportunity to your leadership team or teammates.
• Achieve common business goals through cooperative alignment with all departments.
• Promote Company Culture

What You Will Need

• 4 months of lab or production experience (lab experience can include high school science courses)
• English skills must be proficient to understand, read, write and speak English
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and rotating shifts (days/Swings/graveyard).
• High School diploma or GED from an accredited institution
• Intermediate experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Ability to lift 50 lbs
• Ability to read, study, understand and implement published lab procedures and tasks.

What Will Put You Ahead

• 6 months experience in a laboratory or production setting
• Intermediate experience with SAP
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biological Sciences, Chemistry or related fields

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to:

• Required to work at heights and in fairly small areas.
• Stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear.
• Employees must be physically capable of working in any of the job tasks within the cheese plant.
• Pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, handling and grasping, twisting/turning, repetitive bending.
• Stand and walk almost the entire workday.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to the following:

• Exposure to marked changes in temperature and humidity depending on time of year.
• Exposure to solvents or chemicals.
• Exposure to dust, fumes, smoke, gases, or other irritating substances.
• Exposure to slippery walking surfaces: water.

Working surface is primarily concrete. Where standing is required, there are rubber mats which are one-half inch thick.