Quality Assurance Technician

About Harvest Moon Baking Company

Harvest Moon Baking Company (HMBC) was born in 2006 in Denver, Colorado. What started as a homegrown bakery has stayed true to old-school baking traditions ever since. We use pure, simple ingredients with no artificial preservatives, focusing on quality, consistency, and craft in everything we make.

As we celebrate 20 years of baking, we're proud of how far we've come and grateful to the partners who've grown with us along the way.

Today, our handmade artisan selections are delivered to and served in restaurants across the United States. We say it, and we mean it: Thanks for letting us handle your buns.

SUMMARY

The Quality Assurance (QA) Technician supports the Quality Assurance Manager in implementing and maintaining all SQF, GMP, and food safety programs within the bakery and ensures that production activities meet all company, regulatory, and customer standards for product quality, safety, and consistency. The QA Technician conducts routine inspections, monitors critical control points, supervises sanitation teams, and assists in the continuous improvement of quality systems.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Daily Quality & Safety Monitoring

Perform personal hygiene inspections for each shift to ensure compliance with GMP requirements.
Perform daily operational inspection checks to verify adherence to quality and safety standards.
Complete scale calibrations and verify the accuracy of measurement equipment.
Monitor shipping temperatures, metal detector performance, and dough ball weights through direct observation and documentation.
Verify hoagie lengths, loaf portion quality, and other product specifications at designated checkpoints.
Observe and document finished-product and packaging evaluations to ensure consistency in quality attributes.
Conduct daily label review observations to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Sanitation & Environmental Oversight

Provide direct supervision of both AM and PM Sanitation Teams, ensuring compliance with sanitation standards and completion of assigned tasks.
Conduct scheduled sanitation inspections and verify completion of daily, weekly, and monthly sanitation tasks.
Gather and reconcile blades at the end of each shift to support foreign material control.

Raw Material & Receiving Verification

Audit incoming raw materials for supplier specifications, quality, and food security.
Ensure all raw materials are properly tagged with HMBC ID labels.
Perform weekly lot number reconciliation for raw materials.
Review receiving slips to confirm accuracy and compliance with documentation standards.

Product Quality Evaluation

Collect and prepare samples for sensory evaluation of finished products.
Support quality assessments to ensure products meet established standards for appearance, texture, and flavor.

Compliance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Report any safety or quality non-conformances to the Quality Assurance Manager.
Ensure employees adhere to all safety, quality, and GMP regulations.
Identify and report quality anomalies, potential contamination risks, or deviations from standard procedures.
Assist the Quality Assurance Manager with Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) investigations, including documentation and follow-up.
Recommend improvements to quality control processes and contribute to production efficiency initiatives.
Provide team member training related to GMPs, quality standards, and proper production practices.
REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES
Effective communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams with a solution-focused mindset.
Strong attention to detail and ability to follow established procedures.
Excellent time-management skills with proven ability to meet deadlines.
Ability to assist in CAPA investigations, including root cause analysis and corrective action follow-through.
Ability to work in a fast-paced production environment and stand for extended periods.
Proficient in all MS Office programs
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Experience in a third-party audited food manufacturing facility, bakery operations, or quality assurance, preferred.
Experience supervising or leading teams (preferably in sanitation or production environments), required.
Knowledge of Safe Quality Food (SQF), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and food safety regulations is required.
Must be flexible to work hours as needed, including early mornings, nights, and weekends
FUNCTIONAL BACKUP
Quality Assurance Manager
WORKING CONDITIONS

Position requires prolonged standing, bending, stooping, twisting, and lifting products and supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., as well as repetitive hand and wrist motion.

Working with hot, cold, and hazardous equipment.

Physical Requirement & Frequency

Bend -Occasionally
Climb/Crawl - Rarely
Sit - Rarely
Kneel - Occasionally
Squat - Occasionally
Stand/Walk - Constantly

Mental Requirements & Frequency

Communicate Orally: Constantly
Evaluating: Constantly
Perform Calculations: Occasionally
Read/Comprehend: Frequently
Reason/Analyze: Frequently
Write: Frequently
BENEFITS & PERKS
Hourly pay: $21 to $25 per hour, depending on experience
Dental and Vision benefits after 60 days
Health benefits for full-time employees after 1 year
401(k) benefit after 6 months of employment
Up to 5 paid holidays per year
50% Employee Discount
A fun work environment with great people!

*First Meridian Services utilizes E-Verify to confirm work eligibility within the US.

**First Meridian Services is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or protected veteran status.