Maryam Azarnia
Downers Grove
Summary
Passionate about food safety and quality with 11 years of experience in ensuring the highest standards in fresh and refrigerated plant operations. Additional 10 years of experience in quality management and laboratory work within the dairy manufacturing industry. Extensive background and technical knowledge to utilize in this position, while also seeking opportunities for further professional growth. Consistently drive process improvements and maintain strict adherence to quality standards. Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams resulting in significant achievements. Known for reliability and adaptability in dynamic environments, possess strong skills in process optimization and quality assurance.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
5
5
Certification
Work History
Food safety and Quality Manager III
Hearthside Food Solution
11.2023 - Current
- Manage all Quality and Food Safety programs including FDA, USDA and Seafood HACCP, Food Quality plan, IA Vulnerability, Food Defense and Crisis management
- Execute and lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Corrective Actions/Preventative Action (CAPA) investigations
- Create and Manage Quality SOP’s
- Participate in Hearthside Production System requirements such as Drumbeat (Daily Directional Setting), Weekly KPI, Lean Steering Committee, and Tiered Auditing
- Coach, teach, and mentor the QA and Food Safety teams to build bench strength and career paths for employees
- Measure and monitor various company KPIs and drive for improvements in key performance areas
- Conduct and lead Trace and Mock Recall exercise through SAP, system 21 and manually
- Assess Environmental Monitoring Programs to ensure continued seek and destroy approach to pathogens
- Trend and analyze data as need to drive improvements in the plant (EMP, Pest Control, Consumer Complaints, etc.)
- Lead customer QA discussions related to quality or food safety incidents
- Ensure food standard compliance with FDA, USDA, GMP, customer requirement and company policy
- Ensure all HACCP and Food Safety Plans are up to date, verified, and validated
- Support commercialization teams in integrating customer and compliance requirements into internal specifications and critical quality parameters
- Oversee sanitation team, support all aspects of sanitation, including allergen matrix and control programs, chemical control programs, pest control programs and cleaning validations
- Conduct and manage internal audit program to ensure site always audit ready all the time.
- Managed and archived quality documentation and participated in internal and external quality audits.
- Improved quality processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness.
- Facilitated cross-functional team collaboration, ensuring seamless communication between departments regarding quality matters.
- Evaluated quality problems and performed assessments to identify and resolve issues.
- Increased efficiency of the QMS by regularly reviewing procedures and making updates based on changing business needs or industry advancements.
Food safety and Quality Manager I
Hearthside Food Solution
07.2021 - 11.2023
- Mentored and encouraged employees to strive for excellence while fostering professional growth.
- Coordinated and oversaw periodic audits to evaluate product quality and safety and address non-conformances.
- Provided training to employees on best practices in quality management, fostering a culture of excellence within the organization.
- Updated quality control standards, methods, and procedures to meet compliance requirements.
- Wrote and implemented work procedures to standardize processes and streamline workflow.
- Led continuous improvement initiatives by actively seeking opportunities for process optimization and cost reduction.
- Followed quality standards and procedures to minimize errors and maximize customer satisfaction.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by monitoring and addressing customer complaints promptly and efficiently.
- Ensured consistent delivery of high-quality products by closely supervising production teams throughout manufacturing processes.
- Led cross-functional teams in root cause analysis, identifying and rectifying sources of quality deviation.
- Improved staffing during busy periods by creating employee schedules and monitoring call-outs.
- Recruited, interviewed and hired employees and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
Food Safety & Quality Compliance Manager
Flying Food Group
02.2018 - 07.2021
- Obtain SQF Practitioner status
- Develops strategic plans for advancing food safety and quality systems on the changing needs of the business (e.g., GSFI, SQF, and FSMA)
- Develop airline HACCP to comply with FSPCA
- Oversee 6 FFG units in different states
- Maintain company compliance to industry standards
- Monitors industry, societal and regulatory changes, and emerging issues, to ensure food safety standards and corporate policies and procedures are appropriate
- Leads the development and/or refinement of food safety and quality procedures, programs and tools to ensure that they are communicated and executed in the units
- Create new training documents, power points, SOP’s, etc
- Update and maintain the FSQ Manual
- Manage mock recall process
- Coordinate crisis management process
- Cooperate with R&D team on shelf-life study for new products
Food Safety & Quality Manager
Flying Food Group
01.2015 - 02.2018
- Manages daily food quality and sanitation operations as well as performing final pre-shipment review and authorization of daily CCP records and various other Production/ HACCP documentation
- Supervise and direct the workflow of the department through supervisory staff
- Develop Vendor Audit Approval system, and coordinated implementation of audit processes for Flying Food
- Designated on-site SQF Practitioner
- Validate and verify food safety fundamental requirements, food safety plans
- Develop and improve on Plant HACCP plans, SSOP's, SOP's, Preventative Maintenance Schedule and Pest Control Program
- Oversee the microbiological program; including finished product sampling, ATP testing, environmental swabbing, and ensuring appropriate action is taken for out of spec results
- Responsible for carrying out and verifying policies, procedures and standard compliance as implemented by FFG including food safety and quality for all shifts and product lines in plant
- Responsible for implementing corrective actions for non-compliance to policy and procedure and standards variance
- Responsible for daily communication with USDA Inspector to ensure all FSIS regulatory guidelines and Code of Federal Regulation are met in retail site
- Maintain open communication with all departments to address the identification of food safety and quality issues and continuous improvement opportunities
- Actively participate in the training of new employees, and yearly training of Good Manufacturing Practices and Food Safety Regulations
- Perform monthly Internal Audit, facilitate and manage food safety and quality third party audits such as SQF, NSF, QSAI, FDA, Regulatory inspection, and customer audits
- Review reports regarding regulatory, customer, internal and third-party audits, sanitation violations, customer complaints, and corrective actions to resolve deficiencies; ensure appropriate actions are taken on a timely basis
- Hired and directs food Safety and Quality staff
Food Safety & Quality Supervisor
Flying Food Group
10.2014 - 01.2015
- Perform process checks throughout the production, packaging, sanitation and warehousing functions of company, including pre-operational checks, operational checks, sanitation verification, label checks, weigh checks, package integrity checks
- Monitor and verify operation of equipment, including coolers and freezers, scales and thermometers
- Perform key production swabs (ATP and Pro-Clean) to verify sanitation and food safety
- Enter data in KPI database
- Update CCP assembly logs
- Reassess FDA and USDA HACCP plan
- Perform chef table (sensory evaluation) of all product
- Worked with R&D and Production in the implementation of new products, procedures, and processes
Food safety & Quality Technician
Flying Food Group
10.2013 - 10.2014
- Perform process checks throughout the production, packaging, sanitation and warehousing functions of company, including pre-operational checks, operational checks, sanitation verification, label checks, weigh checks, package integrity checks
- Monitor and verify operation of equipment, including coolers and freezers, scales and thermometers
- Perform key production swabs (ATP and Pro-Clean) to verify sanitation and food safety
- Enter data in KPI database
- Update CCP assembly logs
- Reassess FDA and USDA HACCP plan
- Perform chef table (sensory evaluation) of all product
- Worked with R&D and Production in the implementation of new products, procedures, and processes
Laboratory Supervisor
Pegah Fars Dairy Manufacture Company
01.2007 - 01.2013
- Performed chemical and microbiological tests for water and food samples
- Recorded, compiled test result, reported and prepared graph and chart
- Developed test procedures and reviewed and revised established procedures to ensure they are accurate and complete
- Developed, performed, and documented quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC), and routine preventive maintenance
- Evaluated results obtained from customers and quality control samples to assure validity before reporting values
- Performed test equipment calibrations, Calibrated and ensured accurate documentation to meet ISO17025
- Improved work efficiency by using technologies, including pH meter, Moisture analyzer, Spectrophotometer, HPLC, Conductivity Meter
- Increased productivity and expanded the testing capability of the laboratory through acquisition of cost-effective analytical equipment located elsewhere in the company
- Trained new technicians
- Reduced production man-hours by examining the processes, performing analysis, and reporting test result to eliminate redundant steps and replace rapid tests
- Aided personnel shifts when necessary to accommodate fluctuating workloads
- Organized sensory evaluation teams and evaluated their test results
Quality Control Technician
Pegah Fars Dairy Manufacture Company
01.2003 - 01.2007
- Carried out line checks and all verification processes
- Assisted in the monitoring of raw materials and finished product specifications
- Performed review of run records after product processing and prior to product shipment to ensure processing parameters had been met per standard and customer requirements
- Ensured that the products packaged, met standard and customer specifications
- Prepared pre-shipment approval reports
- Had good communication skills to interact with internal and external customers
- Verified all critical control points and control points for all processes in accordance with plant HACCP and GMP programs
- Prepared and performed sensory evaluation of finished products daily
- Complied with all company policies and procedures
- Performed evaluation of outsourced manufactured finished products
Education
Bachelor of Nutrition Science -
Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences
01.2001
Skills
- Internal auditing
- Quality management systems
- Compliance monitoring
- Corrective actions
- SOP development
- Continuous improvement
- Operational improvements
- Problem-solving
Accomplishments
- Documented and resolved hold and release which led to zero withdraw or recall.
- Achieved high food safety standard and culture by implementing new procedure for the foreign materials incident at production lines.
- Managed team of 20 quality and 70 sanitation staff members.
Certification
- FSPCA Intentional Adulteration Conducting VA using KAT, 10/01/22
- Internal Auditor Training for SQF Edition 8.1, 02/07/20
- Seafood HACCP Certificate, 01/01/16
- FSPCA Certificate, 01/01/16
- Implementing SQF System Edition 7, 03/09/14
- SQF Certificate (Post-Farm Gate), 08/12/14
- Internal Audit Overview, 03/07/14
- HACCP & DIN EN ISO 22000:2005, 11/23/11
- Documentation and internal audit according to ISO/IEC17025:2005
- ISO14001:2004 Internal Audit
- OHSAS18001:2007
- EN 16001 Standard, Not Provided
Timeline
Food safety and Quality Manager III
Hearthside Food Solution
11.2023 - Current
Food safety and Quality Manager I
Hearthside Food Solution
07.2021 - 11.2023
Food Safety & Quality Compliance Manager
Flying Food Group
02.2018 - 07.2021
Food Safety & Quality Manager
Flying Food Group
01.2015 - 02.2018
Food Safety & Quality Supervisor
Flying Food Group
10.2014 - 01.2015
Food safety & Quality Technician
Flying Food Group
10.2013 - 10.2014
Laboratory Supervisor
Pegah Fars Dairy Manufacture Company
01.2007 - 01.2013
Quality Control Technician
Pegah Fars Dairy Manufacture Company
01.2003 - 01.2007
Bachelor of Nutrition Science -
Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences
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