RICHARD A. CARDOZA

**** ********** **. *******, **. 95361

(M) 209-***-**** (E) adskzu@r.postjobfree.com

My professional quality assurance/quality control experiences span more than twenty years within the dairy industry and recently expanded to confectionery products and IQF vegetables and herbs. I have had the opportunity to work with front-line operation individuals, many levels of production management, senior management, company owners, sales and marketing, accounting, laboratory, sanitarians, R&D, design and operations engineers, customers, suppliers, and regulators. My acquired skills in problem solving, situational management, working with people, planning, organizing, and budgeting are a direct reflection of the lessons learned from these influences. Everyday offers a new opportunity for learning. Food safety and food defense must be aggressively protected and quality systems executed to safeguard the financial health of the company. I have spent my professional career working and teaching this principle.

05/2018 – Present SupHerb Farms, Turlock CA.

Food Safety Quality Systems Manager

• Managed the Quality and Technical Services departments for IQF vegetable and herbs.

• Manage and conduct plant inspections and audit finished product quality compliance to standards, including programs and procedures to ensure compliance to Company and Regulatory standards (State, Federal, Organic and Kosher)

• Work closely with Regulatory Inspectors, SQF, Oregon Tilth, and Customer Auditing Services.

• Assist in generating and updating Plant Standard Operating and Standard Work Procedures Manual.

• Train Plant Supervisors and Quality Control Technicians: areas of training include cGMP, HACCP/Preventive Controls, Allergen Controls, Sanitation, Food Safety, and Food/Site Security.

• Purchase Quality Control, Perform Vendor Assurance site audits.

• Approve product packaging and labeling statements.

• Direct Plant Pest Control Program.

• Research and respond to consumer and customer complaints.

• Manage Co-manufacturing requirements, inspections, and correspondence. 07/2016 – 05/2018 Sconza Candy Company, Oakdale, CA Food Safety Quality Systems Manager

• Manage and conduct plant inspections and audit finished product quality compliance to standards, including programs and procedures to ensure compliance to Company and Regulatory standards (State, Federal, Organic, Kosher, RSPO, Fair Trade, GFCO and EU)

• Work closely with Regulatory Inspectors, BRC, QAI and Customer Auditing Services.

• Assist in generating and updating Plant Standard Operating and Standard Work Procedures Manual.

• Train Plant Supervisors and Quality Control Technicians: areas of training include cGMP, HACCP/Preventive Controls, Allergen Controls, Summary

Professional Experience

Sanitation, Food Safety, and Food/Site Security.

• Purchase Quality Control, Vendor Assurance and site audits.

• Approve product packaging and labeling statements.

• Direct Plant Pest Control Program.

• Research and respond to consumer and customer complaints.

• Manage Co-manufacturing requirements, inspections, and correspondence. 03/2013 – 7/2016 Hilmar Cheese Company, Hilmar CA

Corporate Supplier Quality Assurance Manager

• Monitor and facilitate supplier compliance with company quality standards and requirements for the manufacture, storage, delivery, and usage of raw materials, ingredients, processing aids, and packaging materials for multiple plants.

• Developed and perform initial and ongoing audits to ensure suppliers are meeting regulatory, food safety, and quality standards established in the supplier agreement for vendor manufacturing, storage, and transportation.

• Develop and manage procedures for the evaluation of incoming supplies.

• Review and approve material planning and control specifications for raw materials while working closely with Supply Chain and Operations.

• Responsible for compliance testing program for incoming supplies.

• Audit procedures to release incoming supplies for usage and to track inventories for proper rotation and storage.

• Participate in internal and external mock recalls.

• Facilitate communication with supply chain management on supplier non- conformance.

• Assist in customer, third party, and regulatory audits as needed. 01/2009 – 03/2013 Foster Farms Dairy dba Crystal Creamery, Modesto, CA Quality Assurance Manager

• Involved in testing and determining disposition of non-compliance products.

• Conduct plant inspections and audit finished product quality compliance to standards, programs and procedures to ensure compliance to Company and Regulatory standards (State, Federal, Organic, Kosher, Halal, and EU)

• Work closely with Regulatory Inspectors, including Organic Products and Customer Auditing Services.

• Assist in generating and updating Corporate and Plant Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

• Train Plant Supervisors and Quality Control Technicians: areas of training include GMP, HACCP, Allergen Control, Food Safety, and Food Security.

• Purchase Quality Control, Vendor Assurance.

• Approve product packaging and labeling statements.

• Direct Plant Pest Control Program.

• Research and respond to consumer and customer complaints.

• Supervise and schedule 5 union lab technicians.

05/2000 - 01/2009 Leprino Foods Tracy, CA

Quality Control Manager

• Review Quality Control functions for IQF mozzarella, whey and lactose powders, extruded cheese and processing/packaging department.

• Implement and recommend Quality Control Procedures for new products or processes to ensure compliance with Company standards. Education

• Involved in testing and determining disposition of non-compliance products.

• Conduct plant inspections and audit finished product quality, compliance to standards, programs and procedures, work closely with regulatory inspectors and our customers auditing services.

• Assist in generating and updating Corporate and Plant Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

• Train plant supervisors and quality control technicians: areas of training include corporate and customer standards for specifications of products.

• Direct plant pest control program.

• Involvement with and implementation of High Performance Work Teams.

• Supervise and schedule 35 union employees.

02/1995 - 05/2000 Leprino Foods Tracy, CA

Quality Control Supervisor

• Responsible for daily lab functions, including review of controls program, proficiency testing, and product compliance.

• Daily product cuttings and product compliance review prior to release.

• Supervise and schedule up to 37 union employees. 01/1987 - 02/1995 Leprino Foods Tracy, CA

Production Supervisor

• Responsibilities include supervising milk receiving, cheese production, extruded cheese production, lactose, and whey powders.

• Supervise the processing of products to meet customer specifications in: Moisture, Fat on a Dry Basis, pH, Salt, Color %, and Melt Characteristics.

• Supervise and schedule up to 70 union employees. Skills

University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona

Bachelor of Science Business Administration

Professional Development:

• Speaker for Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy about U.S Dairy Food Safety Initiative

• PCQI Certification (FSPCA) Preventative Controls Qualified Individual

• SQF Practitioner

• BRC Experience

• HACCP Certification

• GlobalGAP Certified (SCS Global)

• Professional Pesticide Applicator License (DPR)

• Process Auditor Certified (Quest Analytical)

• Root Cause Analysis (Quest Analytical)

• Microbiology (Silliker/Merieux)

• HTST Short Course (CDFA)

• Kepner - Tregoe: Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Zinger Miller: Front Line Leadership

• Microsoft Office Products, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio,

• AS400, WMS, SAP, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics AX

• Auditing for accountability, Procedures and Processes

• Charted documents

• Process flow diagrams and process records

• Budgeting

• California Department of Pesticide Regulation: Qualified Applicator Certificate

#20858, Obtained 8/92 - Present.

• Member of PAPA: Pesticide Applicators Professional Association. Professional Affiliations

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