QA Lab Tech

QA Lab Technician

This position partners cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Management to ensure food/feed safety, quality, regulatory, and customer requirements are consistently applied throughout the manufacturing process. The Quality Assurance Technician serves as a key resource on the production floor, supporting quality systems in real-time to drive First Pass Quality, product compliance, material yield, and operational efficiency.

This is a highly visible plant-support role requiring significant time on the manufacturing floor. Candidates must be comfortable working in a fast-paced production environment and interacting with employees at all levels of the organization.

Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM (some flexibility)

Pay: $24.50 per hour

This role may require weekend work, overtime, and schedule flexibility based on plant and business needs.

Core Job Duties:

Support quality assurance and food/feed safety programs in real-time on the production floor.

Spend approximately 50-60% of the workday in production and ingredient handling areas.

Collect/review ingredient, in-process, finished product, and retained samples for testing and evaluation.

Assist with ingredient and finished feed evaluations to determine compliance with quality standards and specifications prior to use in production or release for shipment.

Perform routine laboratory testing and maintain quality records.

Verify product specifications, formulations, labels, lot codes, sequencing, and manufacturing requirements.

Assist in investigating quality concerns, customer complaints, process deviations, and non-conforming products.

Monitor and maintain tag inventory to ensure adequate supply for production.

Provide quality guidance and support to production employees and supervisors.

Support regulatory, customer, and internal audit activities.

Monitor compliance with food/feed safety programs, prerequisite programs, and quality management systems.

Assist with inventory verification, product holds, releases, and quality-related documentation.

Support training initiatives related to quality and food/feed safety.

Help provide coverage when the Quality Manager is out of the office.

Other duties as assigned by management.

Experience/Education Required:

High School Diploma or GED.

Minimum one (1) year experience in manufacturing, quality assurance, laboratory, food, feed, or any industry.

Competencies/Skills Required:

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Effective verbal and written communication skills.

Ability to work independently and make sound decisions.

Demonstrated teamwork, collaboration, and willingness to support fellow Quality Assurance team members while maintaining a positive and professional work environment.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications SAP, and Repete and other business systems used to support quality, production, and inventory management activities.

Ability to work cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Management teams.

Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset.

Competencies/Skills Preferred:

Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Animal Science, Biology, Chemistry, Quality Assurance, or related field.

Experience in food, feed, or manufacturing environments.

Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, JD Edwards, or Oracle.

Understanding of GMPs, HACCP, Preventive Controls, and food/feed safety programs.

Experience supporting audits and regulatory inspections.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing stairs, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting.

Ability to access production equipment, ingredient areas, and elevated work platforms.

Ability to work while wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE).

Ability to work in environments with dust, noise, moving equipment, and varying temperatures.

Ability to work in both indoor and outdoor conditions as needed.

Ability to spend extended periods on the manufacturing floor rather than at a desk.

Work Environment:

Manufacturing facility with exposure to dust, noise, temperature fluctuations, and production equipment.

Regular interaction with production employees, supervisors, maintenance personnel, and management.

Schedule may include weekends, holidays, off-shift support, and periodic overtime based on business needs.

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

We provide a broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best. Land O'Lakes is Where Your Future Takes Root.

Land O’Lakes and our global entities support diversity in employment practices.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its affiliates or search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.    

If you need to submit a reasonable accommodation request to complete the employment application process, please call the HR Solution Center at 844-LOL-HR4U (844-565-4748) M-F 8:00am-4:30pm CT.