Food Safety Quality Lead at Peterson Farms in Stockton, CA

OVERVIEW

The Food Safety Quality Lead is responsible for overseeing daily food safety and quality operations to ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and internal standards. This role provides hands-on leadership to the Quality team, supports production operations, and serves as a key point of contact for food safety programs including HACCP, GMP, and SQF. The Quality Lead plays a critical role in driving continuous improvement, audit readiness, and a strong food safety culture throughout the facility.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESULTS

• Lead and support daily quality and food safety activities across production and laboratory operations.
• Supervise, coach, and provide guidance to Food Safety Quality Technicians to ensure consistent execution of procedures and standards.
• Verify daily equipment calibration, testing activities, and documentation accuracy.
• Oversee raw material, in-process, finished product, and environmental testing to ensure compliance with specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Review and approve quality records, SPC data, corrective actions, and product holds/releases.
• Identify, investigate, and lead resolution of out-of-specification results, non-conformances, and food safety incidents.
• Communicate quality and food safety issues promptly to Production, Maintenance, and Management teams.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, HACCP, GMP, SQF, and customer-specific requirements.
• Assist in the development, implementation, maintenance, and verification of food safety and quality programs.
• Lead pre-operational inspections, sanitation verification, and environmental monitoring programs.
• Support internal audits, third-party audits, and regulatory inspections; act as a facility escort as needed.
• Train and retrain employees on food safety, sanitation, quality standards, and procedures.
• Ensure laboratory areas, equipment, and supplies are maintained in a clean, organized, and audit-ready condition.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement and recommend corrective actions.
• Serve as a role model for food safety culture and enforce food safety policies consistently.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the QA Manager or Quality Leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• High school graduate or equivalent preferred

Work Experience

• 2–5 years of experience in food safety, quality assurance, or food manufacturing.
• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, GMP, SQF, and regulatory requirements.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with shifting priorities.
• Ability to read, interpret and follow written job instructions.
• Ability to follow and comply with quality standards.
• Ability to comprehend and comply with GMP rules and Food Safety guidelines.
• Ability to work as contributing member within the team.
• Ability to frequently lift/move material weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to operate a PC (keyboard/mouse).
• Proficient in documenting and reporting data clearly and concisely.
• Bilingual - Spanish

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

BEHAVIORAL REQUIREMENTS

As part of a team-based work environment, must be able to demonstrate the following Job Competencies:

Job Competencies

• Reliability/Dependability – Responds to internal customer needs, questions, and concerns in accurate and timely manner. Follows through on commitments, assignments, and tasks; is at work when scheduled; takes timely breaks/lunches; uses work time wisely.
• Safety Awareness – Demonstrates use of safe and proper work methods and follows established safety procedures. Reports and corrects working conditions that may increase risk factors for injury.
• Good Manufacturing Practices/Food Safety – Demonstrates Good Manufacturing Practices and proper Food Safety procedures when performing daily job functions. Correctly wears required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in designated areas. Recognizes areas for GMP and Food Safety procedure improvements and shares ideas with leadership.
• Work Standards – Has high standards of performance for self. Takes responsibility for actions, results, and mistakes; is thorough, accurate, and reliable when performing and completing job tasks, demonstrates honesty and integrity in all aspects of work.
• Respects Diversity – Respects the Company’s diverse workforce, and behaves in a manner that does not cause harm to others based on age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religious believes.
• Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views and welcomes feedback; uses feedback from others to continuously improve performance and working relationships; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests.
• Flexibility – Moves within own and/or other work areas (flexes) to support plant flow; works with sense of urgency to meet needs of customers.

ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Work is performed in a food manufacturing and laboratory environment with exposure to cold, wet, humid, and refrigerated conditions.
• Regular exposure to food allergens, cleaning chemicals, and sanitation agents.
• Frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping, and reaching throughout the shift.
• Ability to lift, push, or pull up to 25–50 pounds occasionally.
• Must be able to work around moving machinery, forklifts, and production equipment.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for handling samples, testing equipment, and data entry.
• Continuous mental and visual alertness, including peripheral vision and depth perception, is required to safely perform job duties and prevent injury.
• Color vision may be required to accurately perform quality-related functions.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required, including eye and hearing protection, hair nets, bump hats, and lab coats.

DISCLAIMER

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable persons with disabilities the ability to perform the essential responsibilities and results.