Relief Laboratory Technician

Valley Milk is seeking a dependable and detail-oriented Quality Assurance Relief Lab Technician to join our Quality Assurance team.

Valley Milk is a state-of-the-art, 24/7/365 powdered milk ingredient processing facility located in Turlock, California. Our mission is to be a world-class dairy ingredient processor and marketer of premium milk powders with a strong focus on quality, food safety, and operational excellence.

The Relief Lab Technician plays an important role in ensuring our raw materials, in-process products, and finished products meet established food safety, quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will:

• Perform quality testing on raw, intermediate, and finished dairy products.
• Collect and test environmental samples according to established procedures.
• Perform laboratory testing including Near Infrared (NIR), scorch, acidity, butterfat, total solids, and other analytical testing.
• Perform basic microbiological and environmental sampling duties.
• Accurately document samples, test results, quality control measures, and other laboratory records.
• Enter laboratory data and generate reports as required.
• Accept or reject ingredients and materials based on established specifications and criteria.
• Verify finished products meet applicable government and customer specifications prior to release.
• Calibrate and maintain NIR equipment.
• Assist with setting up new in-house testing equipment and developing applicable SOPs.
• Track and trend quality data as assigned.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe laboratory environment.
• Follow all company Safety, GMP, Food Safety, Sanitation, and Quality policies and procedures.
• Provide relief coverage and support for laboratory operations, including overnight and weekend duties as required.
• Support additional Quality Assurance activities as assigned.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will have:

• Bachelor's degree in Dairy Science, Microbiology, Food Science, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent related experience in a dairy laboratory testing environment.
• Previous experience using laboratory testing equipment, including troubleshooting.
• Experience with a Bruker analyzer is a strong plus.
• Strong mathematical reasoning skills with the ability to apply analytical chemistry equations.
• Experience preparing and standardizing reagents preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, timely test results.
• Good problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English; bilingual skills are a plus.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Office.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including data manipulation, pivot tables, and graphing.