Lab Tech

Owned by 250+ family farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is a food and beverage company that has offered innovative, award-winning, high-quality dairy products since 1965. Our progressive cooperative's success is based on a commitment to quality in everything we do that extends to every stage of operations, from our farms to the consumer. Our product offerings include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms, Bison, Milk for Life, and Intense Milkbrands. The Laboratory technician position is a member of the plants Quality team and will be responsible for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Sanitation Practices (GSP), quality of conformity, and quality of services. They will participate as a member of the plants Quality and HACCP team and will represent the Quality department at the plant level. They will support quality programs that include FSMA, SQF, HACCP, ISO, Hold and Recall policies, Pathogen and Allergen testing programs. They will daily and weekly monitor plant quality. Qualifications High School diploma or equivalent Must be a minimum of 18 years of age Ability to think analytically Ability to communicate clearly, verbally and in writing Ability to work unsupervised and manage time effectively Must possess good math skills Good human relations skills and ability to work well with others, and be a team member Good computer skills Must show enthusiasm, initiative, integrity and pride in work Ability to read, analyze and interpret technical procedures, SOPs and Government Regulations Preferred Qualifications Prior experience in Dairy/Food manufacturing Prior laboratory experience College degree in a science related field Knowledge of regulatory compliance Essential Duties and Responsibilities Daily work list task including: plating, lab analyses, record keeping and calibrations Daily plant walk through Completion and review of laboratory paperwork Generation of daily batch tickets for production Maintain laboratory lab files Work with production to ensure all quality samples are being saved for analysis Daily CIP titrations Monitor vitamin program for accuracy Enforce GMP, SQF and Safety policies Communicate with Quality management about daily product evaluations and ensure results are documented Inform management of any out of specification products that may cause customer complaints Maintain various monitoring programs Receive and conduct analysis on incoming ingredients and raw material Ensure that Standard Operating Procedures are accurate and current Comply with employee relations policies and programs Comply with all safety policies Uphold all rules pertaining to confidentiality Support of Upstate Niagara commitment to Product Excellence The statements included in this position description reflect, in general, the duties and responsibilities of this position and are not to be interpreted as being all-inclusive. Physical Demands While performing the duties of this position, the employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms, and also, climb or balance. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pound and occasionally lift and/or move up to 55 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus Work Environment While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and is occasionally exposed to moving parts and toxic chemicals. Noise level exposure is moderate to loud. The employee is exposed to milk and egg allergens. Pay: $20-21/hr. Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.