Packaging Quality Assurance Specialist (Food & Beverage)

Location: Florence, KY

Pay: $20.55 - 25.00/hour

Schedule: Day shift, 7:00am – 7:00pm

A day in this role

You start your shift on the production floor, checking that 5S standards are tight and PPE is in place—steel-toe shoes, hearing protection, safety glasses, and hair/beard nets. You walk a line, pull cataloged samples, and head to the QA Lab where you test paper tensile and handle strength, run Sutherland rub tests, scan barcodes for readability, and verify basis weight on the gram scale. As the day flows, you perform random audits on skids and bales of finished goods, document findings, and immediately escalate any safety or quality concerns to supervisors or plant leadership.

Midday, you join a weekly OSHA-aligned safety meeting, contribute to the plant safety committee’s goals, and enter audit and inspection outcomes in the appropriate safety systems. You partner with the Corporate EHS Manager on an environmental follow-up, then circle back to the floor to complete Mobile Inspections and oversee GEMBA audits, ensuring recurring issues are corrected and updates are captured in the right system. Before shift end, you prepare a concise summary email of the day’s safety and quality highlights—what’s fixed, what needs escalation—and connect with operators, supervisors, and Corporate Safety & Quality via calls or quick huddles.

What you’ll do

• Work safely at all times; follow all corporate/plant safety standards and escalate issues that are not being followed.
• Keep your area orderly to 5S expectations and follow all food safety policies and procedures.
• Use required PPE: steel-toe shoes, hearing protection, safety glasses, hair nets/beard nets, and more as needed.
• Report and document quality issues to machine operators, supervisors, and upper plant management.
• Collect and catalog product samples from designated machines.
• Conduct random audits of skids and bales of finished goods.
• Perform QA Lab testing: paper tensile and handle strength, ink rub resistance (Sutherland), barcode scanning, and basis weight testing.
• Operate or train on lab equipment: tensile tester, Sutherland rub tester, barcode scanner, and gram scale.
• Maintain total compliance with OSHA and EPA regulations; support internal audits/inspections and input to safety systems.
• Participate in weekly OSHA-compliant safety meetings; assist the plant safety committee with objectives.
• Assist with safety training for shipping/receiving and production personnel.
• Send daily end-of-shift summaries on safety and quality status, including fixes and open escalations.
• Oversee the GEMBA program; ensure audits occur on schedule and severe/repeat issues are addressed immediately with system updates.
• Communicate regularly across all levels—from floor teams to Corporate Safety & Quality—via email, calls, and meetings.
• Organize and lead food safety certification efforts.
• Partner with the Corporate EHS Manager on plant safety and environmental topics.
• Complete and document Mobile Inspections.
• Use Microsoft Excel to prepare reports and document test/audit results.
• Assist in investigating customer complaints and resolving quality issues.
• Deliver required training and new-hire orientation as needed.
• Follow Food Contact Packaging Safety requirements per the SQF Quality Manual and GMPs.
• Continuously monitor quality and ensure adherence to corporate and plant quality procedures.
• Perform and record required audits: Monthly Sanitation and Security, GMP, Master Cleaning Schedules, and Glass & Brittle Plastics.
• Investigate and analyze customer complaints, including filing claims against carriers, formal corrective action responses, and root cause analysis.

What you bring

• 2+ years in production, quality, or safety within a warehouse or manufacturing environment.
• Strong reading, writing, and basic math; working knowledge of quality standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Clear written and verbal communication; confident facilitating meetings with employees and management.
• Self-directed with strong organization, time management, and analytical skills.
• Experience in Quality Inspection, FSQA, Quality Control, and GMP practices.