Quality Assurance Technician

Job summary

QATs play a vital role in ensuring food quality and safety standards set by Burts, customers and external boards (such as BRC) are maintained during production. This role ensures a quality culture is maintained. The QAT will work closely with Shift Managers, Team Leaders and production to ensure quality culture and practise of safe manufacturing of food takes place. Any serious food quality issues will be escalated to Technical Leader and Site QA Manager.

The shift pattern is Monday-Friday 06:00-14:00. However, will need to provide QAT cover (12 Hours) which could mean early start and or late finish.

This role works independently from production and manages own workload during the working day. The role audits the Company’s Quality Culture Practice and has responsibility for the quality of all finished products, which is key to the Company’s vision. It is responsible for alerting the Company to potential hazards in food quality or safety and will work with the Technical Leader, Site QA Manager and other interested parties to ensure changes to equipment or practice adhere to strict safety and quality standards. There is no line management or budget responsibility however the post holder may sometimes be directly responsible for making decisions on non-conforming stock and training out new QMS documentation to production operatives.

The QAT has many responsibilities, these include:

• Completing start-up checks.
• Calibration and monitor of Optical Sorter.
• Completing in-depth quality checks on finished products –this includes weight, bag seals and O₂
• Competing raw material checks upon deliveries on film, oil and potatoes- this includes completing dry matter and tuber count / defect checks against the set specification.
• Calibration of Scales, Checkweigher and ATAGO Salt Meters.
• Completing FFA checks on oil and finished product.
• Completing PV checks on oil and finished product.
• Completing Moisture Checks on finished products.
• Inspection and sign off of both level 1 and level 2 cleans – level 2 cleans including swabbing set areas of the line with a Hyginea.
• Verify case label’s barcodes.
• Quarantining of raw material or finished products – this includes liaising with CEVA to bring affected stock back onto the factory floor.
• Creating and issuing Non-Conformances when standards are not met.
• Completing Fryer Profiles on designated fryers.
• Completing Fryer Chemical Checks and Dishwasher Titrations on Sunday Cleans.
• Completing clean validations on Sunday Day if Hygiene Coordinator is not in (if covering a Sunday Clean).
• Completing salt analysis on raw material and finished products as well as working with Gantry Operators to ensure correct seasoning levels are applied.
• Ensuring QMS documentation is filled out correctly and filing away correctly.
• Completing daily and internal audits and escalating any concerns to Technical Leader.
• Completing QAT Shift Handovers Reports.
• Support issuing of PPE to production staff.
• Support Fryers / Flash Fryers in ensuring compliant product against the set QAS.
• Help meet customer contract obligations and industry standards.
• Help to provide readiness for BRC and customer announced and unannounced audits.
• Support compliance with SOPs.
• Encouraging a quality culture.
• Decision making responsibility on non-conforming stock.