Product Data Management Quality Specialist - Tech Center (Caldwell, ID)

Summary

This role develops, maintains, and resolves specification quality issues for specialty products for foodservice, retail, customer specific (national accounts, key accounts, industrial, etc.) in the PDM system. They work directly with production facilities, co-packers, suppliers, food scientist and technicians, Sales & Marketing, Regulatory, and customers on quality related matters. This position also maintains and distributes factory documentation through sales, legal and customer portals.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, modify, and maintain specialty product and purchased products (incoming ingredients) specifications by working directly with QA managers, supplier quality manager, food scientists, purchasing, packaging, production facilities (including co-packer and joint ventures), sales and marketing to ensure the factories have the necessary information to produce quality products. Ensures specifications are agreed upon with suppliers, customers, and factories.   Work directly with Regulatory and QA Manager on potential labeling issues. Work directly with packaging and purchasing to ensure that specifications are managed in a timely manner so necessary packaging and ingredients can be ordered and shipped.
Maintain quality documents in SharePoint, including supplier specifications, GFSI certificates, factory flow diagrams, letters of guarantee, Food Safety and Quality policies. Coordinate specifications with co-packers as needed. Create and maintain the specification system by providing feedback on ideas for improvement, making system changes to accommodate our ever-changing environment. Provide training on quality systems.    Assist in product cuttings for our sales and marketing groups, broker training, school specialist training, product and competitive cuttings, customer cuttings and provide back-up assistance on quality complaints as needed.
Coordinate with Sales and Legal to ensure non-disclosure agreements are signed when providing sensitive factory information and meet frequently with all stakeholders to include Research and Development, Sales, Marketing, QA, Food Safety and PLM to ensure all teams are aligned. Changes are frequent and attention to detail and organizational ability is imperative.
 Review ingredient statements and point out potential labeling issues. Stay up to date on food safety and labeling requirements to ensure factories are in compliance with sales, purchasing and export demands.
Develop specifications for new factories throughout the Global Supply Chain
 

Typical Education

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from 4 year college or university

Relevant Experience

3+ years related experience and/or training

Required Certifications

HACCP certification
Internal Food Safety Auditor
FSPCA Preventive controls for Human Food
 

Other Information

An understanding of processing technology, quality assurance systems and statistical methods. An understanding of quality assurance systems, food safety, FDA compliance and GMP’s and have experience working with customers to identify their needs and expectations, while balancing this with plant capabilities. The ability to understand specifications and product applications is essential. The demonstrated ability to interface with all functional departments is critical. Must demonstrate a high level of tenacity and flexibility in solving problems and implementing solutions. Must possess strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships with both external and internal customers, with the ability to motivate all functional areas to quickly research and resolve problems. Must be able to work effectively under pressure, without direct supervision, and handle multiple priorities. Detailed knowledge of PLM/PDM.  Knowledge of JDE, Sharepoint, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint.