About Us
We are an Australian-owned flavour house, with operations in both Australia and Vietnam. Established in 1989 as a family-owned business, Essential is now into the second generation of Nielsen management and continues to cherish the family values entrenched by the founder John. Located in Carrum Downs, Victoria, our facility is purpose-built to our requirements and to further expand our capabilities in local and international markets.
Our business continues to strengthen and grow after 30 years with our focus on partnering with our clients to develop new, unique, and ever-evolving flavours and product solutions. Picture the time when you were a child, savouring the tastes that came with eating your favourite food. These recollections are what drives us to be part of creating “Future Memories.”
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Specialist with exceptional HACCP expertise to join our team. This role will be instrumental in supporting upcoming projects, ensuring compliance, and driving continuous improvement across our operations. The position reports directly to the Senior Quality Assurance Specialist, providing critical support in maintaining food safety standards and quality systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the Senior Quality Assurance Specialist in developing, implementing and maintaining HACCP plans and food safety programs.
- Work autonomously on day‑to‑day quality assurance tasks for upcoming projects, ensuring all activities align with internal standards and regulatory expectations.
- Conduct internal audits and play a key role in preparing documentation, evidence, and corrective actions for external audits.
- Regularly monitor production processes, identify non-conformances, and initiate timely follow‑up actions to resolve issues.
- Investigate quality deviations by performing root cause analysis and contributing to the development and implementation of corrective and preventive measures.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams to continuously improve product quality and optimize processes.
- Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration and alignment on quality goals.
- Identify company training needs in quality assurance and safety and implement development programs to address those needs.
- Maintain high‑quality documentation, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and readiness for regulatory or customer review at all times.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or related discipline.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in QA within food ingredient or flavour manufacturing.
- Strong HACCP knowledge and practical experience.
- Familiarity with SQF, GMP, and FSANZ regulations.
- Excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively and manage multiple priorities.
- Expertise in conducting Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for effective problem resolution.
- Experience in planning, executing, conducting, and closing out audits, including managing non-conformances.
- Ability to prepare detailed reports and documentation to meet site and audit requirements.
Skills & Qualities:
- Strong understanding of Australian Food Safety Legislation.
- Self-driven, self-motivated, and possess strong interpersonal skills.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and interact confidently at all levels.
- Proficient time management skills, self leadership skills
- Positive attitude towards work and colleagues
- Effectively manage competing priorities and multiple projects, and ability to meet a customer brief
- Analytical skills
- Willingness to learn and be flexible
Why Join Us?
We are passionate about what we do and are guided by our core values:
We are our community
We have a learning and evolutionary mindset
We think beyond our borders
We deliver solutions
We share the love
We have a strong sense of team and a supportive, forward thinking environment. We focused on delivering the best products and service for our customers, and we also make time to celebrate our achievements and share our successes.
Our journey is still unfolding, and we’re looking for a Quality Assurance specialist to help ensure we uphold our operations to the highest food safety and quality standards.