About The Role

Barry Callebaut is a global organization poised for growth; a company which has embraced the vision to delight its customers, while out-performing its competitors, a business which is committed to sustainability, has innovation in its DNA, is a leader in complex manufacturing and supply chain solutions and is focused on being a best-in-class employer. Barry Callebaut seeks diverse and passionate people who thrive in a dynamic environment, focused on continuous learning, living BC’s Values and of course loving chocolate.

The Food Safety Specialist will oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of food safety programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. This role will focus on creating a culture of food safety within the operations, conducting training for staff, and ensuring that all food safety practices meet or exceed industry standards. The Food Safety Specialist is the primary contact responsible for execution and implementation of key quality, food safety and microbiology programs for the St. Albans, VT factory. The successful candidate will possess an in-depth knowledge of the food safety / quality management systems. The successful candidate will be able to show an ability to identify quality and food safety risks in a food production environment, conduct and prioritize risk analysis, and be able to work with production and management employees to drive root cause analysis and implementation of corrective action. This position will also manage all GFSI requirements as well as multiple customer food safety requirements for the site and be able to plan and direct activities concerned with development, application and maintenance of quality standards for industrial processes, materials and products.

Key Responsibilities Include

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and that additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Develop, implement, and maintain the organization's QMS to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards (e.g., ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, GMP).

Develop, implement, and manage food safety and quality policies and procedures, based on global input.

Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, including HACCP, FDA, and USDA standards. Stay informed of industry regulations, standards, and best practices, ensuring that the organization meets all necessary compliance requirements.

Develop and deliver training programs for employees on quality assurance, food safety practices, compliance standards, and relevant regulations.

Conduct regular audits of the QMS and related processes to ensure effectiveness and compliance.

Conduct regular audits and inspections of food handling and storage practices.

Coordinate the successful completion of external audits and implementation of food safety certifications

Responsible for BC quality and food safety internal audits and food safety and quality internal audits

Foster a culture of quality, food safety and compliance throughout the organization.

Develop and maintain procedures and work instructions

Identify potential quality / food safety risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Lead best practice & Incident sharing

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure quality and compliance are integrated into all aspects of operations.

Communicate quality and compliance issues and improvements to senior management and stakeholders.

Ensure all documents are managed under document control procedure at factory level

Collaborate with production and quality assurance teams to identify and mitigate food safety risks.

Provide scientific and technical food safety and microbiological support to the site to ensure product safety and quality, through risk assessment, program development and training.

Investigate food safety incidents and implement corrective actions as necessary.

Conduct regular food safety audits

Review Sanitation KPI’s and provide guidance on improving sanitation /food safety program controls.

Regular review of EMP & Sanitation results and implement timely action for non-conforming results.

Lead cross-functional teams to improve food safety practices and culture within the organization.

Ensure CCP/OPRP validations are conducted on a regular basis and meets all requirements

Ensure allergen validations are conducted and meets the requirements on a regular basis

Coordinate with pest control vendors to ensure effective pest management strategies are in place.

Train staff on GMP practices, pest management protocols, and hygiene standards.

Maintain accurate records of GMP compliance and pest management activities, including inspections and corrective actions taken.

Coordinate, plan, and implement quality and food safety programs. Identify and communicate food safety risks to site, giving actionable advice on Food Safety programs and incorporating updates into existing programs.

Suggest and implement changes in working conditions and use of equipment to increase food safety and efficiency of all departments.

Conduct validation studies and risk assessments to determine critical limits for critical processes and collaborate with internal and external resources to update/maintain procedures. Includes responsibility to validate HACCP Program.

Perform all other related duties as requested.

About You

B.S. in a food safety discipline (Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Science or related field)

5 or more years’ experience in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Micro Biology or a technically related field or equivalent.

5 or more years’ experience in Food Quality and/or Food Safety including experience in food industry auditing preferred

Thorough technical knowledge of quality & food safety including HACCP, GMP, Pathogen Environmental Monitoring and Facility/Equipment Design

HACCP certification program design and implementation

Global Food Safety Institute practitioner or certified auditor preferred

Strong written & verbal communication skills, analytical ability, leadership strengths and ability to work effectively with a team are required.

Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SAP

Ability to climb stairs, bend, stand, kneel, work over and under all equipment and machinery and be able to move about the entire factory, both interior and exterior freely. A tolerance for extreme temperatures is required.

What You Can Expect From Barry Callebaut

Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package

12 paid holidays, generous PTO, plus your birthday off

Environment that welcomes workplace flexibility

An atmosphere where diversity is embraced, and inclusivity is second nature. We call it #OneBC! Just ask our champions with the Americas Women’s Forum and the Racial Equality Forum!

Ability to grow personally and professionally within an organization that values development and internal career growth

Be part of our mission in making sustainability the norm through Forever Chocolate with priorities centered around prospering farmers, zero child labor, carbon and forest positive, and creating 100% sustainable ingredients in all of our products.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

Barry Callebaut Group

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Specialist, Food Safety