Company Overview:
IRCA is a leading international provider of semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry and gelato markets, serving independent producers as well as large food manufacturers (e.g. CPG). Core products include chocolate, chocolate decorations, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and other bakery / pastry ingredients.
The Company, headquartered in Italy, was acquired by Advent International, the global Private Equity firm, in July 2022, and has a strong track record of growth over the last decade. IRCA has made 2 bolt-on acquisitions in the areas of candied fruits (Cesarin) and pistachio ingredients (Anastasi) in 2022, and recently entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a leading manufacturer of sweet and cereal products in Europe and the US. The target’s business focuses on high value add specialty ingredients for the Food Manufacturers segment, with a portfolio that incorporates a range of products including sweet particulates, chocolate confections, baked inclusions, variegates and fruit purées.
This transformative deal would create a global leader in the semi-finished ingredients industry, with 22 manufacturing facilities in Europe, US and Vietnam and a combined €1 billion of revenues (2022).
Job Overview:
This position is responsible for laboratory operations regarding product testing, internal audits, and monitoring production quality. This person has developed skills in monitoring quality systems and laboratory related duties. QA personnel are responsible for disposition of products; this includes approval of products, packaging material, labels, as well as the hold and release of inventory. The QA laboratory technician plays a role in ensuring all products meet Food Safety and Food Quality requirements.
- Adhere to good laboratory practices (GLP), good manufacturing practices (GMP) and safety requirements.
- Responsible for daily laboratory operations.
- Maintains and perform duties that are needed to meet production orders (chemical analysis, product approvals, COA, and specifications).
- Maintains incoming and outgoing products (tracking, analysis, record keeping, database, etc.).
- Maintains product retains.
- Performs equipment/calibration in the lab and plant where appropriate.
- Assists in general audit of the quality system.
- Purchase and maintains laboratory inventory.
- Covers techs for vacations when needed and any calls in the lab.
- Assists in maintaining and understands product specifications, SDS, TDS, and kosher documents.
- Responsible for analyzing test data to determine acceptability.
- Disposition of material produced as well as incoming material.
- Responsible for approving packaging and labels for use.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- This position requires two-three years lab experience, knowledge of food manufacturing and sensory analysis, some knowledge of quality assurance programs, and basic computer skills. College level coursework in chemistry or pertinent job-related experience is preferred. Minimum high school diploma.
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent, and ability to draw and interpret bar graphs
- Must use logical thought processes and deductive reasoning.
- Must be able to evaluate test data for the purpose of determining process control adherence and determine proper responses to “out-of-specification” product.
- Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
- This position requires exposure to the production environment, climbing ladders and moderate lifting (less than 25 lbs.).
Work Environment
This position requires exposures to a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions, handling of certain hazardous chemicals and exposure to common microbiological organisms.
Why Join Us:
Irca Group offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits: Medical, Dental, & Vision, 401(k) matching, Paid Vacation, and Holidays, Employee Education Tuition Reimbursement Program
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
