SQ Technologist - Cheese

Your Story.

You will plan, coordinate, and support supplier food safety and quality programs designed to ensure our suppliers meet established standards.

Your Passion.Our Culture.

At Sargento, you work for a company you believe in, with a family of people who believe in you. Our culture stems from a simple premise: Hire good people and treat them like family. At Sargento, you can make decisions based on how they affect people as well as the long-term health of our company. You will be encouraged to make a meaningful difference in the community, in the company and in your career. With diverse experiences and tools to learn and develop, you can transform your aspirations into reality. If you're ready for the right place to belong and grow your career, you can find it here.

Benefits that set us apart.

• Comprehensive medicalincluding Fertility, Adoption benefits, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Flexible Work Week
  
  
  
  • Hybrid work schedule - Onsite Tuesday - Thursday with the option to work remotely Monday and Friday
  • Compressed work week - Option of day Friday
  
  
  
  
• Onsite Health & Wellness Center
• Employer 401K contribution in the top 1% of the nation
• Relocation Assistance
• Tuition Assistance
• Access to Employee Store

What You Do.

• Interprets Sargento Foods Inc. food safety and quality philosophy to suppliers.
• Supports Quality Systems on internal projects as a technical resource.
• Establishes and maintains internal and external relationships within the food safety and quality community.
• Supports the selection, qualification and approval of suppliers by partnering with Procurement, R&D, Manufacturing, Food Safety & Quality, and Legal.
• Assesses suppliers' capabilities through direct visits, technical discussions, capability studies, and audits.
• Assesses supplier food safety plans and completes supplier and material risk assessments to assure food safety.
• Monitors first production runs at suppliers for product appearance, functionality, performance, and adherence to Sargento Foods Inc. specifications.
• Reviews Supplier Quality Evaluations, third-party audits and conducts Food Safety Audits to determine supplier approval status.
• Review supplier supporting documents and records, in accordance with Food Safety & Quality document control procedures. Analyzes data to ensure the materials meet or exceed Sargento Foods Inc. food safety and quality standards throughout shelf-life. Works with suppliers to establish specification requirements. Provides information to create raw material/Co-Pack finished good specifications. Works with suppliers and R&D to establish specification requirements.
• Coordinates the raw material risk and vulnerability assessment process, including evaluating the material for microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards. Conducts ready-to-eat assessments on raw materials/Co-Pack finished goods.
• Develops and implements inspection criteria, procedures, and plans for raw materials/Co-Pack finished goods.
• Leads the nonconformance process for the category working closely with Procurement. Communicates quality and food safety issues to suppliers. Provides assistance to develop corrective and preventive actions. Investigates and responds to customer and/or consumer complaints.
• Investigates and responds to legal or consumer affairs requests from customers and consumers that require supplier information.
• Works with customers in establishing specifications, reviewing supplier agreements, and resolving quality concerns.
• Applies total quality management tools and approaches to continuous improvement projects.
• Participates with Procurement in supplier performance reviews.
• Supports Supplier Proficiency Testing Program.
• Explores, identifies, and defines improvement areas in order to improve food safety and quality.
• Supports strategic initiatives to reduce total cost.
• Provides input into Supplier Quality budget.
• Other duties as assigned by the Manager or department head.
• Requires up to 50% travel (include inter-company).

Your Education and Experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Quality, Math, or other Science related field. As an alternative, a Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field plus 2 years' quality and food safety experience. Auditing and relevant, decision-making experience preferred.
• Expected to have or obtain Preventive Control Qualified Individual Certification within 1 year of accepting the position. Prefer to have or pursue Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified HACCP Auditor (CHA), Certified Food Safety & Quality Auditor (CFSQA) or equivalent and HACCP certification within 1 year of accepting the position. Recommend obtaining an ASQ Certified Process Analyst (CQPA).
• Valid Driver's License required for travel among Sargento plants and to Sargento suppliers.

Our Story.

With over 2,400+ employees and net sales of nearly $1.8 billion, Sargento is a family-owned company that has been a leader in cheese for more than 70 years. We created the world's first, successful pre-packaged sliced and shredded natural cheeses. Sargento is based in Plymouth, Wisconsin, where we manufacture and market shredded, sliced and snack natural cheese products, as well as ingredients and sauces. Sargento is known for the exceptional quality of our products and for product design, packaging and merchandising innovations that have transformed our industry.

To learn more about our culture and values, please visit our website athttps://careers.sargento.com/us/en.