Quality Control Manager - Johanna Foods Inc.

Johanna Foods is a state-of-the-art food manufacturer located in Flemington, New Jersey. Privately operated since 1995, Johanna Foods is now one of the country's largest producers and distributors of fruit juices, drinks and yogurt. Our products include the popular La Yogurt and Sabor Latino yogurt, Tree Ripe juices, Earth Wise juice beverages, Ssips and Sabor Latino drinks and nectars, and Ssips aseptic drink boxes, all using cutting-edge technologies and only the freshest, highest quality ingredients. Johanna Foods is also a leading private label and co-pack juice and yogurt producer, manufacturing products for numerous leading retailers and brands.

What we offer:

Competitive compensation and benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, short term disability insurance, long term disability insurance, vacation, and tuition reimbursement.

Job Summary: 

Manage, direct, and guide all laboratory operations and oversee the activities of QC Technicians.

• Provide supervision and direction to quality Control staff consisting of QC technicians and QC laboratory Technicians.
• Performs the role of SQF practitioner for the facility, responsible for the development, implementation, oversight and continuous improvement of the SQF 2000 program. Responsible for the Food Safety and Food Quality functions of the SQF Program, overseeing both programs and ensuring dissemination of regulatory requirements and compliance with raw material and finished product specifications.
• Monitor products and process performance with respect to compliance to established government, customer and company standards.
• Maintain the main production laboratory equipment, chemicals, reagents and supplies that are required to perform production and laboratory quality Control functions.
• Provide the company the laboratory expertise and performance necessary to analyze juice products raw materials for:
  • Microbiological integrity: i.e. standard plate count, yeast and mold.
  • Chemical: i.e. brix, acid, B/A ratio, oil and pulp content.
  • Physical for visual defects.
  • Organoleptic: Flavor, aroma, and appearance of juice and other raw materials as necessary.
• Provide the same laboratory expertise and performance necessary to analyze and control finished products within their specifications for microbiological, chemical, physical, and organoleptic requirements.
• Maintain and controls sample inventory of products (juice) in cold room for shelf life determination, and shipment to customers as required under license or co-pack agreement or as requested.
• Provide completed laboratory reports to customers as required by license agreement or as requested. Prepare and ship samples accordingly.
• Maintain laboratory records for all production items through their shelf life and/or as required by federal or state regulation (21 CFR Part 110 Current Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Maintain HTST pasteurization charts looking for deficiencies in production pasteurization and CIP procedures. Maintains charts on file (21 CFR Part 110 current Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Advise and/or assists Operations Quality Control in the conduct of their control activity when there is a problem with a product or a process. For example:
  • Analytical and/or advisory support for identification of contamination sources. (Line checks, raw materials, etc.)
  • Analytical and/or advisory support to any non-routine event, which may deter or interfere with achieving process and product specifications.
  • Analytical and/or advisory support to new venture, product/process development.
• Review incoming samples from prospective suppliers.
• Program leader of GMP self audits conducted monthly.
• Maintain pest control program and interact with outside contractor for pest control system.
• Special assignments upon request of Vice President, Operations.

Additional Areas of Responsibility:

• Complaint responses, which deal with product quality or foreign objects and branded product.
• HACCP program leader, point person, reviewer of documents.
• Set up the running of flavor test panels, report findings.
• Product formula sheets preparation.
• Audit preparation of documentation for all customers and outside source audits, act as audit guide during audits.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or engineering field and 7-10 years of related quality Control and/or experience in the laboratory.
• Basic PC knowledge and experience work with spreadsheets and recipe software.
• Knowledge of government regulations pertaining to food processing, packaging and labeling preferred.
• Familiarity with microbiological testing procedures.
• Technical knowledge of aseptic, chilled juice, and smoothie processes is preferred.
• Able to understand and maintain the basic element of QC and food safety, i.e. adherence to specifications, compliance to food laws and regulations, food sanitation, insect and pest control, and food safety programs such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
• Individual is process oriented; demonstrates solid analytical and issue resolution skills.
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal skills.