Corporate Food Technology Specialist, Regulatory Compliance

Company Name: Kroger Manufacturing
Position Type: Employee
FLSA Status: Exempt
 

 

Position Summary:

Manage corporate brand labels for nutritional, health/structure/function claims to regulatory labeling requirements. Oversee USDA Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) inspection for Kroger banner retail stores. Manage all recalls/withdrawals involving products sold in Kroger owned stores. Perform all jobs safely, efficiently and accurately to maintain and improve the performance of the entire division in the areas of Safety, Quality, Reliability (SQR) and our Customer 1st strategy. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Essential Job Functions:

• Monitor press releases, Food Track notifications and regulatory websites for relevant recalls
• Interact with Kroger operations, trade associations and federal/state regulatory bodies
• Manage recall process by: evaluating recall severity to determine classification, collecting information on recalled product distribution/disposition, preparing/issuing communications to operational units and regulatory agencies, monitoring recall activity at store and distribution levels, and overseeing billing/accounting
• Provide period recall summary reports to Manufacturing and Corporate leadership
• Manage retail store USDA COOL inspections; act as company liaison with USDA
• Coordinate corporate records requests and response communications for USDA COOL inspections
• Communicate industry trends/best practices for COOL labeling and compliance and common COOL violations cited by USDA to Division and Corporate merchandising teams; develop COOL training for improved compliance
• Coordinate label approval process; review/approve consumer package artwork for nutritional and regulatory compliance requirements, review claims on packaging, point of sale signs and marketing brochures for accuracy
• Interpret and make recommendations on independent peer review papers to substantiate health/structure/function claims
• Keep current with regulatory and technological changes that may affect food industry labeling laws by maintaining professional peer contacts in industry, trade associations and government agencies
• Develop and issue food labeling metrics to reduce errors through targeted communications and training on consumer package labeling requirements
• Accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Principles
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation

Minimum Position Qualifications/Education:         

• Bachelor’s degree in food science or related field
• 5 years of experience in retail food stores, manufacturing or regulatory compliance
• Strong critical thinking and analytical reasoning
• Strong oral/written communication skills
• Strong organizational skill and ability to independently prioritize tasks
• Must be available outside regular business hours including occasional evenings and weekends

Desired Previous Job Experience:

• Management experience in the food industry
• Experience with food labeling laws and regulations
• Experience in recall protocol, retail food safety or manufacturing quality assurance (pay level-9)
• Working knowledge of food safety, microbiological concepts, store operations, logistics, and/or manufacturing operation (pay level-9)

 

Education Level: Bachelor's Required
Required Travel: Up to 25%
Required Certifications/Licenses: None
Position Type: Full-Time
Regions: General Office- Cincinnati

States: Ohio
Keywords:

 

Jobs at Kroger Manufacturing: Through quality products, strong individual commitments and team spirit, Kroger has been established as a leader in the manufacturing industry. Kroger Manufacturing provides career development programs aligned with aspirations in Engineering, Process Management, Information Systems, Quality Assurance, Operations Management, Human Resources, Finance and Procurement. Our work force programs provide technically challenging rotations with cross-functional teams, plants and locations to allow our Associates to learn from some of the brightest minds in the business. Experience and training combined with mentoring and guidance from plant sponsors prepare our Associates with the skills and leadership behaviors needed to achieve a successful career at Kroger.

 

Company Overview
Kroger Family of Companies employs nearly half a million associates who serve customers in 2,782 retail food stores under a variety of in 35 states.  Our Family of Companies also operates 2,268 pharmacies, 274 fine jewelry stores, 1,489 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States.  Kroger is dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™ by serving America through food inspiration and uplift and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.  Careers with The Kroger Co. and our family of companies offer competitive wages, flexible schedules, benefits and room for advancement.

 Posting Notes:  OH || Cincinnati || 1014 Vine Street || 45202 || Kroger Manufacturing || None || Food Technology || Employee || Exempt || Full-Time || None