FSQA Associate

Job description

Smalls is a premium DTC cat food and cat lifestyle brand built on a single belief: the cats who matter most to their people deserve food that actually reflects that. We make fresh, human-grade food for cats, and we've spent eight years building a brand that looks and feels as considered as the product inside the bag. We're looking for an FSQA Associate to own the execution engine behind our food safety and quality program — the routine testing, hold/release decisions, and CS quality triage that keep product moving safely across our co-man and 3PL network. You'll be the first line of defense on quality, keeping a complex, high-volume operational program on schedule so the Sr. Manager, FSQA can focus on strategy, investigations, and regulatory judgment calls. This is for someone who is meticulous, comfortable with high-volume documentation, communicative across many stakeholders (co-mans, labs, 3PLs, ops), and energized by keeping a complex operational program on schedule. ## What This Role Is This is the person who keeps Smalls' FSQA program running day to day: scheduling and tracking routine production testing across every SKU and co-man, making hold/release calls, triaging quality complaints from Customer Support, and maintaining the documentation and data the rest of the FSQA function depends on. You're the first line of triage for quality issues across co-mans, 3PLs, and customer-facing channels — escalating to the Sr. Manager, FSQA for investigation sign-off and food safety judgment calls, not making those calls yourself. ## What This Role Is Not **An owner of investigation sign-off or food safety judgment calls** — assembles the evidence and drafts the packet, but the Sr. Manager, FSQA holds final authority on holds, releases, withdrawals, and investigation outcomes. ## Core Responsibilities ## Routine Production Testing & Hold/Release (≈40% of time) - Schedule and coordinate micro testing across all SKUs (smooth/ground, pulled, freeze-dried, lickable, broth, treats). - Generate and track lab submission forms for micro tests; manage the end-to-end cycle from sample collection through lab turnaround, results review, and release. - Execute hold/release decisions across all SKUs each month. - Review cutting forms, log results, send release emails, and maintain release records. - Coordinate production verification and nutritional testing each month. ## CS Quality Liaison (≈20% of time) - Monitor the CS-Food channel as the primary QA point of contact. - Triage incoming complaints within hours: classify severity, request additional info from CS, and determine whether an issue is cosmetic, food safety, or requires a formal investigation. - Resolve low-complexity complaints directly with CS; escalate food safety and high-impact issues to the Sr. Manager, FSQA with a clean handoff packet. - Own complaint response SLAs — triage within hours, resolution within 2–3 days for non-investigation issues. ## Complaint & Food Safety Investigation Support (≈15% of time) - Open and document formal quality investigations under the direction of the Sr. Manager, FSQA. - Gather supporting evidence: lab results, batch records, cutting forms, supplier COAs, and CS complaint history. - Coordinate with co-mans and suppliers to collect root cause data. - Draft investigation reports and CAPA documentation for the Sr. Manager, FSQA's review and sign-off. - Support food safety investigations (e.g., micro, raw materials, food production records) ## Data Input, Documentation & Reporting (≈20% of time) - Log all test results, hold/release decisions, and complaint data into the internal compliant trackers. - Maintain the co-man and supplier quality document library — chase certificates, food safety docs, EPR packaging info, and keep documents current. - Produce the weekly QA digest (internal compliant trackers, CS-Food channel summary, weekly team meeting highlights). - Pull data inputs for the Sr. Manager, FSQA's period reporting and trend analyses. ## Cross-Functional Coordination (≈5% of time) - Participate in co-man and 3PL quality calls as the standing QA representative. - Handle communication with 3PLs — hold/release instructions, tickets, and sample inspections. - Communicate with the CS team to address customer food quality inquiries and complaints, providing investigation results and feedback. ## Who You Are - You hold a Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Animal Science, or a related field. - You have 1–3 years of experience in a food, beverage, or pet food QA role. - You have working knowledge of micro testing protocols (APC, listeria, salmonella, E. coli) and lab coordination workflows. - You are strong communicator — comfortable working across co-mans, labs, CS, and internal ops via Slack and email. - You have demonstrated attention to detail with high-volume documentation work. - You are comfortable with ambiguity and the operational tempo of a fast-growing CPG. - You're willing to travel - Nice to have: - HACCP and/or PCQI certification. - Prior experience with co-man networks and SARF/cutting form workflows. - Pet food, fresh food, or freeze-dried manufacturing experience. - Exposure to investigation/CAPA methodology. - Comfort with AI-assisted workflows. ## **What you’ll love about us:** - **Mission-Driven Company:** We love cats and we're here to make nine lives ten. - **People-Driven Company:** We treat our people like people; we're committed to Smalls, and we work hard but also respect everyone’s lives outside of work. - **Data-Driven Culture:** We love using data to guide decision-making where appropriate, but we also know when to move quickly and go with our gut. - **Competitive Salary:** Make some $$$. - **Very Competitive Benefits:** Fully paid Health, Vision, and Dental insurance. 4-day work week. Unlimited PTO. - **Fully Remote Office & Culture:** Our team is spread across the US day to day, but we travel for department & company off-sites and retreats. - **Free Product:** Free cat food every month.