Quality Assurance Technologist

Job description

**Company** IRCA Group is a leading international B2B provider of semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry and gelato markets, serving independent producers and large food manufacturers. Core products include chocolate, decorations, creams, inclusions, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and other bakery/pastry ingredients. Headquartered in Italy, IRCA Group has a strong track record of growth over the last decade. It has 22 manufacturing facilities worldwide, 2,400+ employees, and €1 billion in revenues. **What We Offer** IRCA fosters a dynamic environment, embracing diversity and valuing diverse perspectives and international experiences, offering a stimulating context. We promote professional growth by providing tailor-made development programs and career advancement opportunities locally and internationally. With locations worldwide, we offer the chance to work on international projects, collaborate across cultures, and gain a global perspective. Joining our team means becoming part of a global community of passionate professionals dedicated to making a difference. If you are looking for: - a competitive salary - stimulating challenges - the chance to contribute your ideas for process improvement in an ever-growing company IRCA is the right place. Please note **we do not offer sponsorship.** **Role Overview** This role requires a detail-oriented and dedicated professional with strong expertise in quality assurance, capable of thriving in a fast-paced and evolving environment. This role involves conducting product safety audits, managing quality-related documentation, and ensuring adherence to industry best practices, regulatory standards, and customer specifications. This role requires you to be on site 5 days a week at our Bretton site in Peterborough. This role does not currently offer hybrid working opportunities and you must be able to commit to being on site Monday-Friday. ### Key Responsibilites **Inspection and Testing:** - Perform inspection and testing of finished products and raw materials in compliance with site quality standards. - Review process control records to ensure conformance to food safety requirements and customer specifications. - Complete calibrations of test equipment in accordance with prevailing standards. **Complaints & Continuous Improvement:** - Assist in investigating complaints related to site production, reporting, evaluating returned materials, and implementing corrective actions. - Facilitate and execute Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodologies such as 8-Step Practical Problem Solving. **Standard Confirmation:** - Monitor and enforce compliance with established quality and safety standards through structured verification processes. **Quality Inspection:** - Perform routine factory-based food safety and quality standards inspections, including GMP, hygiene verification audits, fabrication inspections, and foreign body inspections. - Provide guidance and support to departments being audited to ensure understanding of required standards. **Quality / Technical Issue Resolution & Support:** - Facilitate investigations and resolution of non-conformances using problem-solving tools (e.g., 3Cs, Fishbone, 8-Step, etc.). - Participate in Crisis Management processes when required. - Analyse and report quality performance metrics (KPIs) and identify improvement opportunities. **Taste Panel Process:** - Ensure the effective scheduling and facilitation of the taste panel process. **SAP & Stock Monitoring:** - Daily monitoring and release of products post-production and customer testing for dispatch. - Manage stock movement to maintain product integrity and minimise dispatch errors. - Provide customers with necessary product certificates. **Environmental Monitoring Programme:** - Ensure timely completion of scheduled monitoring activities. - Log all samples on the online system and order necessary consumables. - Conduct retests and liaise with the hygiene manager regarding results and trend analysis. - Review the programme annually with the hygiene and technical manager. **Allergen Management:** - Conduct allergen management validation and verification in accordance with PRP management programmes. **Product Sampling:** - Maintain the customer testing requirements folder. - Collaborate with the NPI Technologist to keep testing requirements updated. - File daily production samples, send samples to labs for testing, and liaise with the supply chain regarding timing issues. - Check product quality and report out-of-specifications to the production manager. ### Qualifications & Skills **Essential** - Proficient written, numerical, and verbal skills. - Fluency in English language. - Numerical ability to record, interpret, and analyse key process data. - Proficient in MS Office Tools. - Understanding of Food Safety and Quality Management Systems. - Knowledge of ISO22000 Standards or equivalent certification standards. - Experience in standardisation of processes. - Food Safety Level 3. - HACCP Level 3. **Desirable:** - Diploma or higher qualification in Food Science or a related subject. - Knowledge of TACCP. - Knowledge of the BRC Global Food Standard and specific customer standards.