Job Description

Job Title: Food Safety Specialist

Reports To: Quality Function Deployment Director

Schedule: Monday-Friday, during standard business hours

Job Summary

The Food Safety Specialist is responsible for supporting and advancing Volm’s food safety and food-contact packaging compliance programs, ensuring that all products, processes, facilities, and documentation meet FDA requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) across manufacturing, transportation, and distribution operations. This position serves as a subject matter expert by conducting compliance assessments, supporting audit readiness, maintaining traceability systems, investigating customer complaints, facilitating corrective and preventive actions, and supporting food defense initiatives. The Food Safety Specialist collaborates with cross-functional teams to reduce risk, protect customers, support certification and inspection outcomes, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement across all sites.

Essential Duties

• Provide functional support and daily coordination for Food Safety activities across assigned operations and business areas.
• Serve as a key business resource by reinforcing standards, supporting team capability, escalating risks, and driving follow-through on corrective actions.
• Coordinate and execute activities supporting the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the food-contact packaging compliance program across manufacturing plants, warehouses, and distribution operations.
• Ensure site compliance with applicable FDA requirements, internal quality and food safety standards, current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), sanitation expectations, and applicable customer or certification requirements.
• Serve as the primary corporate resource for AIB inspections and support SQF program implementation and readiness activities where applicable.
• Coordinate, prepare for, and support internal, customer, certification, and regulatory audits and inspections; track findings through closure and verify the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for the Company’s Food Defense program and support facility-level hazard analysis activities, including HACCP- or risk-based assessments, as applicable to food-contact packaging operations.
• Conduct and support complaint investigations, nonconforming product investigations, returned goods reviews, deviations, and product safety incidents using structured root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) methodologies.
• Monitor compliance trends, recurring nonconformances, audit scores, complaint data, and other performance indicators to identify systemic risks and recommend corrective or preventive action.
• Manage traceability, mock recall, and product disposition activities to verify material identification, lot control, record accuracy, and timely response capability across manufacturing and distribution processes.
• Partner with operations, warehouse, maintenance, procurement, quality, and site leadership teams to identify and resolve food safety risks and drive sustainable improvements in preventive controls, housekeeping, material handling, and process discipline.
• Provide training, coaching, and guidance to site personnel on GMPs, hygiene, food safety, food defense, traceability, documentation practices, and investigation/corrective action expectations.
• Review regulatory, customer, and industry standard changes affecting food-contact packaging manufacturing and distribution, and update programs, procedures, and training accordingly.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate effectively in English to ensure safe and efficient job performance.
• Strong interpersonal, listening, negotiation, and customer service skills.
• Able to work collaboratively with employees, customers, and vendors at all levels.
• Ability to understand and follow verbal instructions and perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Ability to build standardized programs, procedures, and training materials across multiple facilities while influencing teams without direct supervisory authority.
• Proven ability to plan, organize, and manage multiple tasks, projects, and deadlines efficiently.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Able to interpret and act on data accurately.
• Commitment to safety, compliance, and customer satisfaction.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Packaging, Quality, Operations, or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience in food-contact packaging manufacturing, food safety, or quality systems will be considered.
• Minimum 5 years' experience of food safety principles within food-contact packaging manufacturing and distribution environments, including GMPs, sanitation, traceability, and documentation control.
• Understanding of purchasing, manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing best practices and standards.
• Working knowledge of lean, continuous improvement, and quality methodologies.
• Experience supporting or leading AIB, SQF, customer, or regulatory audits and inspections, including preparation, response coordination, corrective action tracking, and verification of effectiveness.
• HACCP Certification, Internal auditor certification, and Food Defense training required. Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) related certifications preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, and move around for extended periods of time.
• Capability to lift and carry objects of various weights up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Proficiency in using hands, fingers, and arms for tasks such as typing and writing.
• Sufficient visual acuity to read documents and recognize details at close and distant ranges.
• Ability to hear and understand verbal communication.
• Flexibility to bend, stoop, and reach low or high objects.
• Ability to perform physically demanding tasks, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying heavy objects.
• Adaptability to work in varying environmental conditions, such as temperature extremes, noise, dust, or fumes, depending on the nature of the job.
• Willingness to adhere to safety protocols and wear protective gear, including helmets, goggles, gloves, and safety shoes, as required by the job.

Company Culture & Values

• A Commitment to Our Purpose (COMMITTED PEOPLE) – Our mission is to serve and build up our customers, suppliers, communities, and each other, guided by the principles of our Lord Jesus Christ. The commitment to serving and building up is easily seen in those employees that exemplify this value.
• Without Our Customers We Are Nothing (CUSTOMER FIRST) – We realize that we are blessed to serve our customers and without them, our company does not exist. They rely on us for their success and that is a responsibility we cannot take lightly. Our focus must be on serving them with as seamless communication and access to products as possible.
• Kind, Humble and Positive (HUMBLE) – These positive traits do not mean being a doormat to others. But when a person is kind, humble and positive it comes through in their genuine caring for those around them.
• A Desire For “Expert” (EXPERTS) – Our people want to be seen as the experts in their specific roles. From how we convert a bag efficiently and with highest quality, to knowledge of the product portfolio, to desiring to know more about tax or human resource policy – the desire for “expert” drives us in each of our roles.
• Intentional Growth – Developing of Self and Others (PERSONAL GROWTH)– Times, tools, and customer expectations change. Our team members are interested in developing themselves and those around them. We know that a stronger team is one that makes our customers and our fellow employees happier.
• Strong Work Ethic (HARD WORKERS) – The commitment to serve those around us is honorable and we respond to this by putting our strongest effort into that purpose.
• High Expectations of Self and Others (HIGH EXPECTATIONS) – We expect ourselves, and those around us, to put in our best effort. When others struggle, we help them align towards perfection. When we struggle, we are open and humble to hear it and course-correct accordingly.
• If It Isn’t Safe, We Don’t Do It (SAFETY) – All people deserve to return home to their loved ones safely and work in an environment where they can best execute their tasks safely. When choosing between safety and profit, safety and efficiency, safety and feelings, safety, and “x” – we choose safety.

Travel Requirements

This position requires monthly or bimonthly overnight travel and occasional travel to other Volm facilities across the U.S. and Canada. 

Driver Qualification

The ability to drive a company owned/leased vehicle or personal vehicle on behalf of the company preferred. Inclusion in the company’s driver qualification program is required to drive a company owned/leased vehicle or personal vehicle.

Becoming a qualified driver includes:

• Agree to the company driving policies that apply to company owned/leased vehicle or personal vehicle as applicable.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and be a minimum of 21 years of age.
• Maintain an acceptable driving record, as evidenced by completion of a baseline motor vehicle record check and ongoing monitoring.
• When driving a personal vehicle on behalf of the company, must provide a copy of the declaration page from personal auto insurance that shows the policy dates and minimum coverage amounts ($300,000 bodily injury per accident/$100,000 property damage per accident or if driving less than 5 hours/200 miles a year $50,000 bodily injury per accident/$10,000 property damage per accident or the state minimum, whichever is more). This requirement is initially and then annually thereafter.

This job description is intended as a general outline of the primary responsibilities of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, or activities that may be required. The employer reserves the right to modify, add, or remove any responsibilities, duties, or activities as deemed necessary with or without notice. 

Volm Companies is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and other protected characteristics. If you require reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job, please inform us and we will work with you to address your needs.

Benefits

As a family-owned and operated company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family. We offer a strong foundation of benefits, including access to medical, dental, and vision coverage, an HSA employer contribution, and a 401k with profit sharing to secure your future. To support your overall well-being and family life, we offer additional benefits beyond the core package, such as paid vacation, wellness stipends, childcare reimbursement assistance, and much more. We are committed to continuously enhancing our benefits to meet the evolving needs of our team.