Quality Assurance Specialist

Your Opportunity as the Quality Assurance Specialist

The Quality Assurance Specialist plays a hands‑on, highly visible role in protecting food safety and sanitation standards across the facility. This position will involve being on the floor, understanding how sanitation systems work in a manufacturing environment, and doing critical work the right way, every day.

In this role, you will be directly involved in the execution of sanitation and food safety programs that keep the plant running safely and compliantly. You will write and maintain procedures, verify sanitation effectiveness, support daily and weekend operations, and ensure documentation is accurate and audit‑ready. Your work will have a direct impact on product safety, regulatory compliance, and smooth production start‑ups.

This role also offers meaningful exposure to how sanitation systems evolve over time. You will help support a planned transition in sanitation responsibilities, gaining experience in procedure development, training support, verification, and change management in a real manufacturing environment. This role provides a strong foundation for continued growth within Quality Assurance or Food Safety.

Location: 1525 Industrial Rd, Emporia, KS 66801 (Hostess Manufacturing Plant)

Work Arrangements: 100% on-site. Day Shift. Thursday-Monday 8am-5pm, supporting weekend operations. Flexibility required. Willingness to work off shift (including nights, weekends, and/or holidays) and flow to the work as needed.

In this role you will:

• Write, update, and maintain Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) so they are clear, accurate, and aligned with how work is actually performed on the floor

• Execute, verify, and document the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), ensuring required activities are completed effectively and on time

• Execute sanitation schedules and coordinate details with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations based on priorities set by the QA Assistant Manager

• Prepare and execute sanitation‑related downtime plans in alignment with direction from the QA Assistant Manager to support food safety, sanitation effectiveness, and reliable production start‑ups

• Perform sanitation and pre‑operational inspections, documenting findings and escalating issues that could impact food safety or quality

• Execute environmental monitoring activities and verify sanitation effectiveness through sample collection, documentation, visual inspections, record review, and awareness of sanitation and environmental trends

• Execute and track assigned sanitation‑related corrective actions, ensuring timely completion, accurate documentation, and escalation of barriers when needed

• Order and manage sanitation‑related tools, equipment, and supplies to support effective program execution

• Support weekday and weekend sanitation execution and verification to ensure clean, compliant starts to the production week

• Provide weekend QA coverage by assisting with product holds, food safety concerns, and other quality‑related issues that arise outside the standard workweek

• Support investigations by gathering data, completing documentation, and assisting with root cause analysis

• Reinforce GMP, food safety, and sanitation expectations through regular floor presence, observation, and feedback

• Prepare records and support internal, corporate, regulatory, and third‑party audits as assigned

• Support the Quality Assurance department as needed to maintain continuity of food safety and quality system execution across all shifts

• Support execution of the planned transition of food‑contact equipment cleaning responsibilities from sanitation to production, including procedures, training support, verification, and documentation

• Partner with the QA Assistant Manager to identify execution gaps and opportunities to improve sanitation and food safety system performance

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED

• At least 1 year of experience in sanitation, quality, or a related operational role within manufacturing

• Working knowledge of sanitation, GMPs, SSOPs, MSS, environmental monitoring, and sanitation planning

• Experience in creating and following procedures, completing detailed documentation, and executing work consistently and accurately

• Ability to identify issues, escalate risks appropriately, and support corrective action follow‑through

• Strong attention to detail, organization, and time management skills

• Ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with cross‑functional teams

• Willingness and ability to work a Thursday–Monday schedule and support weekend operations

• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred but not required

• Experience with Kleanz by Hygiena software and SharePoint data management system

• Familiarity with digital productivity tools, including Microsoft Copilot or similar AI‑enabled tools

• Experience writing, updating, or maintaining Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)

• Experience executing or verifying a Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS)

• Familiarity with environmental monitoring programs and sanitation verification activities

• Working knowledge of FSMA, BRC, and food safety audit expectations

• Experience ordering and managing sanitation‑related tools, equipment, or supplies

• Experience using quality or documentation systems such as Prodika or SharePoint

• Interest in continued development within Quality Assurance or Food Safety roles

• Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish is a plus

Work Environment: This job operates in a manufacturing environment. The noise level in the work environment and manufacturing sites can be high.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to talk and hear.  

• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

• Occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

• Able to lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently.

• May push and pull heavy objects.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 

The Right Place for You 

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. 

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