QA/QC Tech

H&F Bread Company (“H&F”)- QA/QC TECHs will be responsible for ensuring all company personnel and visitors are following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and food safety preventive control requirements for regulatory compliance. This position will perform a variety of quality control tests/inspections at various stages of the process to ensure products are manufactured to conform with all customer and company food safety and quality specifications. This includes routine observations and monitoring of receiving, storage, processing, packaging, sanitation activities. The QA Technician will make decisions affecting food safety and quality of HF Bread Co products through accurate inspections and documentation. This position will also assist in implementing and enforcing food safety and quality programs and exercising technical expertise, including training and making improvements under the direction of and reporting to the Quality Assurance Manager. Additionally, QA/QC TECHs should be able to ensure that daily operations meet and exceed daily performance expectations and to increase the company’s overall productivity and efficiency.

Essential Functions including Physical Requirements:

Essential Functions:

Major responsibilities, physical requirements, and core competencies of the position are listed below. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time; This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned;

This position will

• Monitor operation processes to ensure all products are manufactured to food safety and quality requirements.

• Perform QC line product audits to include net weight, lot coding, quality, packaging integrity and raw material specifications checks.

• Record quality control checks to assure control points are met.

• Conduct SSOP performance standard and GMP audits.

• Verify the routine metal detector checks.

• Monitor adherence to GMP and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) throughout the facility.

• Proactively address production issues that can adversely affect product safety and quality.

• Accurately and promptly report, record and communicate all findings and non-conformances to QA and Department Management while providing feedback and recommendations as per QA Manager instructions and trainings.

• Conduct follow ups on non-conformances to assure corrective actions are taken in a timely manner.

• Routine participation in internal plant food safety and GMP audits.

• Collect and monitor product samples for Retention Program.

• Assist with quality control data collection using various methods and documentation.

• Use and maintain QC laboratory equipment.

• Place products and raw material on HOLD when required.

• Monitor storage and holding temperatures.

• Complete daily reports to include pertinent QC production concerns and corrective actions.

• Assist in the development, implementation and compliance of Food Safety Programs.

• Assist with annual training of plant team members and training as needed concerning food safety deficiencies/corrective actions.

• Utilize technical knowledge to prevent/identify the root cause of process/product failures and help develop corrective actions.

• Maintains the work area, reports, and equipment in a clean and orderly condition.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to bend, stoop, and twist with repetitive motion that demands the use of fingers, hands, wrists, arms, and legs

• Standing for long periods of time (8-12 hours)

• May require movement of large equipment that weigh 50+ pounds

Minimum Requirements:

Experience:

• Previous experience as a QA/QC TECH in a bakery warehouse with a firm understanding of allergen handling and GMPs 1+ years related experience, preferred.

• Food industry/quality control background and knowledge of HACCP, GMP and SQF regulations is a plus.

• Demonstrates basic math and counting skills

• Comfort with communicating in English written and verbal with working Bilingual Spanish preferred

• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office tools including outlook.

• Knows and follows all safety requirements; strives to maintain a safe work environment.

Personality:

• Comfortable giving and receiving feedback; with a willingness to asks questions and seek direction from all members of management to gain a better understand your assigned areas.

• Competent to work independently within area of expertise.

• Ability to take initiative to solve quality related problems

• Strong communication and relationship building skills

• Teamwork-oriented, dedicated to support the team

• Ability to work within a collaborative and ambiguous environment

• Demonstrated time-management and multi-tasking skills

• Strong analytical and problem- solving skills with proven ability to organize tasks by priority

Hours:

• Position: Full-Time

• Must have open availability including nights, weekends, and holidays as overtime and non-traditional hours may be required

Ideation, formerly known as H&F Bread CO, was started in 2008 by James Beard Award-winning Chef Linton Hopkins and his long-time friend and entrepreneur Joe Best. Starting with a single baker and three assistants operating in a 1,800-square foot facility to fill a niche, supplying great bread to restaurants who wanted “To enhance the dining experience with artisan baked goods of the highest quality and consistency with a focus on food safety and compliance”. That later became our Mission Statement.

As a steward of delivering consistent quality baked products to the marketplace, H&F received significant awards, including Top 10 Bakeries in the US by Bon Appetit Magazine, One of the Top Bakeries in the South by Southern Living One of our Head Bakers won Top 10 Bakers by Dessert Professional Magazine

In 2018 we acquired the former La Petite in Marietta and opened up our first co-manufacturing facility focusing on Gluten-Free and Allergen-free baked goods for clients who wanted to expand their current products into the marketplace.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 the fresh-baked business that had been in existence for years took a significant loss in just 1 week. In true H&F style, we did not let that hold us back from growing and were able to capitalize on what we were doing well at and expanded the co-manufacturing business to encompass both locations providing our clients with almost 90,000 sq ft of manufacturing space. It also allowed us to rebrand ourselves into Ideation.

We can't wait to tell you the rest of the story but believe us when we tell you - We are growing like crazy and we can’t wait to get you started!

H&F Bread CO fue fundada en 2008 por el chef ganador del premio James Beard Linton Hopkins y su viejo amigo y empresario Joe Best. Comenzando con un solo panadero y tres asistentes que operan en una instalación de 1,800 pies cuadrados para llenar un nicho, suministrando gran pan a los restaurantes que querían \mejorar la experiencia gastronómica con productos horneados artesanales de la más alta calidad y consistencia con un enfoque en la seguridad y el cumplimiento de los alimentos\. Eso más tarde se convirtió en nuestra Declaración de Misión.

Como administrador de la entrega de productos horneados de calidad consistente al mercado, H&F recibió premios significativos, incluyendo top 10 panaderías en los EE.UU. por Bon Appetit Magazine, una de las mejores panaderías en el sur por Southern Living Uno de nuestros panaderos principales ganó top 10 bakers por Dessert Professional Magazine

En 2018 adquirimos la antigua La Petite en Marietta y abrimos nuestra primera planta de co-fabricación centrada en productos horneados sin gluten y sin alérgenos para clientes que querían expandir sus productos actuales al mercado.

Cuando la pandemia golpeó en 2020, el negocio de recién horneados que había existido durante años tuvo una pérdida significativa en solo 1 semana. En el verdadero estilo de H &F, no dejamos que eso nos detendiera de crecer y pudimos capitalizar lo que estábamos haciendo bien y expandimos el negocio de co-fabricación para abarcar ambas ubicaciones, proporcionando a nuestros clientes casi 90,000 pies cuadrados de espacio de fabricación. También nos permitió cambiar nuestra marca en Ideación.

No podemos esperar para contarte el resto de la historia, pero créanos cuando te lo contamos: Estamos creciendo como locos y no podemos esperar para que comiences!