Quality Assurance Assistant

Temporary Quality Assurance Auditor / QA Specialist Location: Kent (Site-Based, Monday–Friday) Contract: Temporary (Initial 3–4 Months, with Potential Extension) Salary: £35,000 – £40,000 Pro Rata Hours: Monday to Friday, Day Shift (Flexible Start and Finish Times Available) The Opportunity We are recruiting an experienced Quality Assurance Auditor / QA Specialist to support a busy Quality Department during a period of increased workload. This temporary position will play a key role in maintaining quality, food safety and compliance standards, supporting both internal and external audit activities while ensuring ongoing adherence to industry certifications and customer requirements. The successful candidate will join a small, collaborative quality team and will be involved in a wide range of quality assurance, auditing and compliance activities across a manufacturing environment. Key Responsibilities • Provide guidance and support to operations, technical and commercial teams on Food Safety, Feed Safety, Quality and Legislative requirements. • Support and participate in external audits including customer and third-party certification audits. • Coordinate and conduct GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) audits, analyse findings and ensure corrective actions are completed effectively. • Train and support GMP auditors and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. • Investigate quality incidents, customer complaints and non-conformances, carrying out root cause analysis and implementing corrective and preventative actions. • Conduct internal audits of Quality Management Systems (QMS), HACCP plans, CCPs, OPRPs, policies, procedures and accreditation requirements. • Deliver quality, hygiene, GMP and food safety training to employees and contractors. • Conduct traceability exercises and mock recalls to support certification and customer requirements. • Monitor site hygiene standards and work closely with external hygiene contractors to drive improvements. • Support pest control management activities and coordinate site pest-proofing actions. • Manage environmental and product sampling programmes, including routine microbiological monitoring. • Analyse quality data and trends, maintaining accurate records and tracking corrective actions through to completion. • Support Management of Change (MOC) activities and quality-related project documentation. • Raise quality-related purchase orders and work orders as required. Candidate Requirements Essential Qualifications & Certifications • Degree or HND in Food Science, Quality Management or a related discipline. • Internal Auditor Certification (ISO 19011, BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or equivalent) – Essential. • HACCP Certification (minimum Level 2) – Essential. • Food Safety Certification (minimum Level 2) – Essential. Essential Experience • 2–4 years' experience within a QA, Technical or Quality role in a food manufacturing environment. • Experience conducting internal audits and supporting external audits. • Knowledge of BRCGS or equivalent GFSI-recognised standards. • Experience investigating quality incidents, complaints and implementing corrective actions. • Strong understanding of food safety and quality management systems.