Quality & Food Safety Associate

Job description

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there’s more to being in business than just making a profit. That’s the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it’s never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It’s about how you can grab everything that’s within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It’s about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we’ll all be a little better off. It’s that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Job Purpose/Overview

The Quality & Food Scientist Associate provides functional leadership to develop, implement, maintain and improve Quality and Food Safety Management program across the manufacturing site to ensure that finished products are safe for human consumption and meet customer, consumer and regulatory requirements to achieve business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

·  Supports the implementation of Global Quality and Food Safety standards to ensure compliance with applicable statuary and regulatory food safety requirements
·  Manages the Internal audit program
·  Leads compliance to QMP related standards through the CAPA program.
·  Manage the Quality KPI’s for the site
·  Manage the Q&FS training program.
·  Lead Q&FS continuous improvement projects within the site
·  Supports the implementation of other Q&FS standards providing technical knowledge and activity management process

Context and Scope

·  Responsible for reviewing Global standards, leading gap assessment to the standards and regulatory requirements, including Food Defence Plan and continuous improvement of quality systems
·  Manages external audit and the internal quality audit function for the site through training associates, creating audit schedule and ensuring a robust and corrective and preventative action process
·  Collaborates with Q&FS Site team and supply partners to conduct the Q&FS management review at planned intervals to ensure suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the Q&FS management programs
·  Partners with supply, R&D and other key stakeholders to implement changes, new process or new products in a safe manner and implement product quality conformance system
·  Lead continuous improvement of QFS system and product quality and conformance to specification through the corrective and preventive actions program.
·  Provides technical expertise to build functional capability through the Q&FS training program for the site.
·  Provides technical expertise and conducts incident investigation and risk analysis as well as provides recommendations for appropriate resolution as required.
·  Lead segment ‘community of practice’ in an area of demonstrated expertise such as: auditing, food safety, hold management/systems, statistical process control, etc.

Job Specifications/Qualifications

Minimum qualifications

·  BS degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Food Safety, Engineering or related technical field with
·  1-2 years of food plant experience in a responsible position related to food safety or
·  Quality and food safety management system and or combination of education and 7+ years demonstrated success in relevant manufacturing/quality experience.
·  Demonstrated success leading / influences others
·  Ability to travel 10% of the time

Preferred

·  Advanced degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Food Safety, Engineering or related technical field
·  1 year of food plant experience in a responsible position related to food safety or Quality and food safety management system
·  Demonstrated leadership capabilities in leading/influencing others

Knowledge/Experience

·  Demonstrated success with Food safety risk, identification and management, HACCP and prerequisite controls
·  Experienced auditor in GFSI Quality Systems such as SQF, BRC, FSSC22000 or ISO9000 preferable.
·  Proven application of quality tools, food science, and statistics
·  Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
·  Proven leadership within a team and
·  Demonstrated ability to lead change
·  Application of GMP, GLP, food allergens, pest control, sanitation, and food safety regulations

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

Nearest Major Market: Waco
Job Segment: Engineer, CAPA, Safety Engineer, Internal Audit, R&D Engineer, Engineering, Management, Finance