The Quality Specialist – Liquid Processing (LP) is responsible for providing daily quality and food safety support for liquid processing operations, including ingredient processing, UHT/aseptic processing, raw material handling, CIP effectiveness, sanitation readiness, and related LP documentation. This role performs quality control inspections, reviews process and food safety records, analyzes production data, supports product hold/release and disposition decisions, and helps identify deviations from established standards. The Specialist works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Microbiology, and the broader Quality team to identify, solve, and prevent issues that may impact product quality, food safety, compliance, or factory performance.
JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
- Follow and carry out company Quality Policy, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), hygiene, housekeeping, quality, and food safety requirements in all assigned areas.
- Provide direct Quality support for LP operations, including ingredient processing, UHT/aseptic systems, raw material activities, CIP/COP-related checks, sanitation effectiveness, and process documentation review.
- Escalate quality or food safety findings, trends, deviations, incidents, or risks to management with urgency and appropriate factual detail.
- Support compliance with FSSC 22000, ISO 9001, HACCP, site QMS requirements, and applicable regulatory expectations while driving continuous improvement in Quality metrics and KPIs.
- Review and verify LP-related production records, HACCP/CCP/OPRP documentation, QMS checks, process records, and supporting documentation to confirm compliance and identify deviations.
- Support product hold, release, and disposition activities through documentation review, investigation support, and risk assessment to ensure compliance with Nestle quality and food safety requirements.
- Support factory allergen management programs, including verification activities, documentation review, and compliance monitoring as needed.
- Support production in decisions related to quality and food safety, including process start-up support, sanitation readiness, abnormal condition escalation, containment actions, and follow-up verification.
- Investigate quality incidents, holds, near misses, foreign material events, process deviations, and other LP-related issues using structured problem-solving tools.
- Partner with Operations and Maintenance to identify root causes, implement corrective/preventive actions, and verify effectiveness of actions tied to Quality Incident Reports, NPS, Cority, or other site systems.
- Participate in and support structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives using NCE, TPM, root cause analysis, DMAIC, and other improvement methodologies.
- Support LP improvement initiatives, including CIP validations, run extensions, process capability work, line trials, start-up support, sanitation effectiveness, defect reduction, and loss reduction projects.
- Assist, advise, coach, and train Production Operators, Leads, and cross-functional partners on quality standards, documentation expectations, escalation criteria, and good decision-making on the floor.
- Conduct routine GMP, hygiene, documentation, process, sanitation, and system audits in assigned LP areas; document findings and follow through on corrective actions.
- Review, update, and help maintain factory policies, SOPs, work instructions, checklists, and training materials in alignment with Nestle standards and site requirements.
- Support internal audits, third-party audits, regulatory inspections, and factory readiness activities as needed through record review, evidence gathering, document verification, and completion of assigned action items.
- Support Indiana Board of Animal Health (IBOAH) audit readiness activities, including documentation review, audit support, corrective action follow-up, and compliance verification.
- Support Foreign Body/Foreign Material reduction, sanitation effectiveness, raw material quality, and other LP-focused loss reduction or quality improvement teams as needed.
- Conduct special projects and other duties as assigned to support Quality, Food Safety, Compliance, Safety, Environmental, and Factory priorities.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or other related technical field preferred; equivalent manufacturing quality experience may be considered based on business needs.
- Ability to work in a manufacturing environment and support production floor activities, including routine area walks, documentation review, and direct interaction with operators and leaders.
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
- Prefer 2-3 years of manufacturing and/or quality experience, ideally in food, beverage, dairy, aseptic, liquid processing, or regulated manufacturing.
- Experience with HACCP, GMPs, sanitation, allergen or foreign material controls, internal auditing, quality systems, product/process disposition, or documentation review preferred.
- Experience with investigations, root cause analysis, corrective/preventive action follow-up, process documentation, quality incident management, or continuous improvement preferred.
- Familiarity with UHT/aseptic processing, CIP systems, raw material handling, dairy/cream processes, or liquid processing operations is a strong plus.
- Must have good verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly escalate risks and document factual findings.
- Strong data analysis skills with the ability to review process, quality, and production data, identify trends, investigate deviations, and support fact-based decision-making.
- Must be able to handle multiple assignments and prioritize work in a demanding, fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Must be precise, accurate, well organized, and detail-oriented, especially when reviewing records, batch documentation, release criteria, and audit evidence.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to influence, coach, and build trust with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Microbiology, and Quality partners.
- Proficiency with computer systems, personal computers, and spreadsheet software.
- TPM, NCE, root cause analysis, DMAIC, or continuous improvement experience preferred.
Work Schedule
- Primary schedule: Monday-Friday day shift, with flexibility required to support production needs, validations, audits, sanitation activities, start-ups, shutdowns, investigations, and off-shift escalations as needed.
- Factory support expectations may require occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends, or adjusted hours based on business needs.
