Food Safety Regulatory Specialist - Jobs in Halifax, NS

Job Description

Food Safety Regulatory Specialist Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. is Nova Scotia’s development agency focusing on the food sector. Our mission is supporting growth, transformation and economic development in Nova Scotia’s agriculture, seafood, cannabis, and food and beverage sectors.We are looking for a talented, innovative professional with an understanding and expertise in food safety and food safety regulations. This position will work with our other Food Safety Regulatory Specialist, our food science team and our quality and food safety consultants to offer comprehensive services to clients under programs we offer or on a for fee basis.As a Food Safety Regulatory Specialist, the position can be home based or hybrid with shared time between a home office and and/or in a shared office space in either Truro or Kentville. Clients and projects may span the province, but the ideal location for this position is close to either our Truro or Kentville offices or centrally located in the province with a commitment to travel as required. Travel will be required to meet with clients, following public health guidelines but this position is encouraged to do as much work as possible virtually with clients, as a precursor to client visits.As this is a position where a variety of skills and knowledge areas are involved, the successful candidate will work with our current regulatory specialist under a mentorship role but must demonstrate the ability to research and digest complex information quickly and efficiently, be a quick learner and be able to work independently, be highly organized and be technically savvy to employ technology for communication with clients, file organization and document creation.Principal Responsibilities: Work with agriculture and food and beverage companies (from startups to established businesses) with assistance in navigating the regulatory path in food safety and inspection.

• Provide interpretation of regulations related to various food products, novel foods and natural health products, perform scientific literature reviews for development of application packages and liaise with Health Canada as required on behalf of the client
• Act as an intermediary for industry by initiating practical discussion and communication with various government departments on matters relating to food safety and food safety regulations.
• Provide technical support and direction to clients regarding food safety systems.
• Evaluate products for risk level, listeria classification, if applicable, and critical control points validation, formulation review as per regulatory requirements, hazard assessment, allergen controls, food safety issues, process evaluations for acceptability, and provide recommendations for product shelf stability.
• Trigger analytical testing for information required to assess the safety of a food product, and determination of shelf stability and interpret the results and share remediation strategies with clients.
• Validate food product processes and equipment validation from a food safety perspective.
• Provide advice on recall recovery processes with recommendations and product inventory and withdrawal.
• Support or conduct grade inspections for export.
• Determine product classification for products.
• Review processing facility floor plans for food safety considerations, and to meet regulatory standards for current and new buildings.
• Design, implement, validate and audit sanitation programs and conduct listeria and salmonella swabbing, and ATP and air sampling.
• Responsible for the preparation of technical reports

The ideal candidate will possess:

• A minimum of BSc in food science or a complementary discipline from a recognized program and at least 3-5 years of intensive food safety experience in a food processing environment, or more than 10+ years of extensive and in-depth food safety technical experience in a food processing environment
• Certificate(s) for food safety courses from a recognized food safety certified training body like NSF University of Guelph or University of South Carolina which are able to be submitted as part of your application package
• While the Perennia team focuses on client advice, guidance, support and coaching, previous experience working in a regulatory or compliance position with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would be considered an asset
• Knowledge and understanding of the food processing and the employee flow, products and ingredients in a processing facility from a food safety perspective
• Knowledge and understanding of provincial and federal legislation and regulations to support clients from a food safety perspective
• Ability to work confidently and positively with clients and share information and recommendations in a clear, coaching and respectful manner
• Ability to juggle a number of files simultaneously and be able to prioritize tasks
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and written and oral skills
• Team player and collaborator

Perennia offers a competitive compensation package based on the candidate’s skill and experience. This includes base salary, benefits, flexible schedules, personal days and three weeks’ vacation to start.To apply for this exciting position at Perennia, please email a combined PDF or Word cover letter and resume noting compensation expectations by noon on July 31, 2021.Only e-mail applications will be accepted. Thank you to all who apply but only those granted interviews will be contacted. For more information about Perennia visit our website at www.perennia.ca.Perennia is an Equal Opportunity EmployerApplication deadline: 2021-07-31Job Types: Full-time, PermanentSchedule:

• 8 hour shift

Application question(s):

• Do you have experience working in a regulatory or compliance position

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

• Certificate in Food Safety (preferred)

Work remotely:

• No