Quality Assurance (QA) Technician
At PURIS, we're dedicated to cultivating a better food system and making a positive impact. How do we do it? By transforming high-quality, USA-made pea ingredients and non-GMO soybeans into essential components for a wide range of everyday products. From cereals and snacks to protein beverages, soy milk, tofu, and beyond, our ingredients are powering a healthier future and strengthening our domestic food supply chain. This is more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of an exciting period of expansion and growth. You'll drive strategic initiatives, leverage cutting-edge solutions, and implement new processes that directly support a better food future for people and the planet.
As a Quality Assurance Technician at PURIS you are central to our mission of transforming the global food system through innovation in plant-based nutrition. In aligning with our purpose of "Safe People, Safe Food, Safe Planet," this role ensures that all
our products adhere to the highest standards. This position embodies the essence of PURIS's commitment to providing
a safe, secure, and sustainable food supply, made in the USA, and grounded in over 30 years of non-GMO natural
breeding. By ensuring consistent implementation of FSQR protocols across production operations that support
compliance and continuous improvement, this role contributes significantly to our aspiration of a Plant Strong Planet.
Starting Pay Rate: $23.00 per hour
Pay Frequency: Biweekly
Bonus Eligible: Yes
Work Location: Randolph, MN
The compensation for this role will be based on qualifications, experience, market data, and internal equity. Actual pay may vary due to factors such as location, skills, education, and performance. Pay is determined transparently, using market benchmarks and ensuring internal equity.
Summary of Essential Job Functions
SQF Practitioner: Oversee the implementation, review and maintenance of the SQF QMS to meet GFSI standards. Maintain document control, including overseeing the updates and execution to all quality control and
food safety policies and procedures (HACCP, GMP, Sanitation, Pest Control) and assistance in the evaluation of
current and proposed system procedures. Assist with compliance objectives and ensure that targets are achieved.
PCQI Expectation: Maintain working knowledge about the Food Safety Plan. Ensure all preventive controls are
validated and verified, with documented evidence demonstrating their effectiveness and ongoing performance.
Review and assess monitoring and verification records to ensure 100% compliance, timely review and proper
disposition of any deviations. Maintain audit-ready records that meet FSMA requirements for accuracy,
completeness, and traceability. Support reanalysis of the Food Safety Plan at least annually or when significant
changes occur (process, product, or hazard).
Test Evaluation and Coordination: Review, support and verify the Laboratory Information System (LIMS) by
conducting and evaluating test results against acceptance criteria. Maintain comprehensive logs and/or electronic
files of all test outcomes. Responsible for the FOSS and testing equipment to ensure accuracy in testing outcomes.
Product Release Management: Verify product compliance to FSQR standards and coordinate the release of
product within published product release timelines.
COA Generation: Generate certificates of analysis for finished products, aligning with customer requirements and
FSQR standards.
FSQR Process Optimization: Identify and suggest improvements and implement improvement direct FSQR Team
supported by procedures and systems.
Incident Management: Investigate FSQR incidents and support root cause. Lead root cause analysis and corrective
actions for all preventive control failures or out-of-spec results, ensuring 100% documentation, escalation, and
closure within defined timelines.
Compliance and Inspections: Conduct internal audits of QMS for FSQR, SQF/GFSI, Organic and customer
compliance using quality approval criteria. Perform site inspections as necessary, communicate findings and
support process optimization development around any nonconformities.
Documentation and Records Maintenance: Prioritize customer specification requests, support questionnaire
completion and documentation requests. Organize and maintain essential documents and records, including
keeping current records of Quality Document statements, supplier & customer questionnaires and supplier quality
information.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Influence and demonstrate ownership and accountability for the FSQR System and processes. Act as a self-starter who proactively identifies gaps, lead by example that drives continuous improvement implementing sustainable solutions. Champion food safety culture by ensuring standards are not only met, but continuously strengthened. Engage with quality, engineering, operations, sales and warehouse teams to address quality concerns, and drive FSQR process optimization across all product lines.
Food Safety Team Development: Be an active member of the Food Safety Team and gain knowledge around critical Food Safety Systems.
Supporting PURIS’ marketing & business development: Quality Assurance Technician will support the sales and operations team by assisting with customer samples. Executing the preparation of samples aimed at closing new business development leads as well as current customers for the purpose of achieving variety approvals