QA Specialist

Summary

Join OLIPOP as a Supplier Quality Specialist and play a vital role in managing and executing supplier-level food safety, traceability, and quality programs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with OLIPOP's quality standards. This role involves supplier onboarding, compliance management, and maintaining accurate documentation. Based in Burlingame, California, you will be responsible for evaluating suppliers, conducting risk assessments, and implementing preventive measures to maintain ingredient consistency. You will also manage ingredient documentation, perform testing, and maintain OLIPOP's document control systems. The position reports to the Quality Manager and offers a competitive salary and bonus.

Requirements

• 2 - 4 years of quality assurance & quality control experience in food & beverage
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets are required, and prior experience with Google Workspace preferred
• Good organizational skills and ability to handle complex situations involving multiple SKU’s, channels, and distribution models
• Transparent, open/honest communicator - a great listener who can work independently while keeping other team members informed
• Strong attention to detail and deadline oriented with the ability to organize assignments, set priorities, and carry out plans

Responsibilities

• Maintain vendor approval forms and ingredient documentation
• Support Procurement and Regulatory teams on new vendor approval projects
• Support Packaging Engineering team on packaging quality issues
• Interact effectively with all supplier partners to maintain positive & responsive relationships
• Evaluate current suppliers and ingredients and update risk-based assessments of material
• Based on risk assessment establish preventive measures to ensure consistency of ingredients across suppliers, crop year etc
• Conduct supplier related investigations ensuring root cause analysis, corrective actions, and documentation are completed in compliance with OLIPOP quality standards
• Ensure suppliers are in compliance with OLIPOP’s Supplier Expectation Manual
• Visit supplier facilities as necessary to review and verify systems and facilities meet OLIPOP standards
• Monitor ingredient supplier performance as it aligns with Supply Chain KPIs. Identifying and addressing areas for improvement
• Receive and review ingredient COAs for ingredient positive release program and communication with ingredient warehouses
• Maintain a library of ingredient retains to support traceability, quality investigations, and compliance requirements
• Perform regular ingredient testing to ensure they meet established specifications or to support ingredient approval projects, ingredient database and other routine testing
• Maintain OLIPOP document control systems for SOPs, forms, etc relevant to supplier and ingredient programs
• Ensure all supplier compliance documentation is up to date and accounted for
• Organize and archive documents as necessary
• Review all relevant SOPs for completeness and accuracy with stakeholders on a regular basis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and implementing document control processes
• Experience in using supplier compliance software, such as FoodLogiQ

Benefits

$75,000-$85,000 base salary + bonus