Quality Assurance
Do you want to help make sure our food is safe and of a high quality standard?
What do Quality Assurance Specialists do?
Quality Assurance (QA) is a program for the systematic monitoring and evolution of a food process to ensure standards are being met. The responsibilities of the Quality Assurance Officer include carrying out QA inspection and performing verifications on the finished product for compliance to microbiological/chemical/toxicological standards. A QA officer is responsible for maintaining records and reference samples for testing, monitoring production records and taking corrective and preventative action, undertaking Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) reviews and good manufacturing practice (GMP) auditing of manufacturing, providing quality assurance assistance during production, monitoring product release as well as assisting the QA Manager in general quality assurance tasks.
Where are the jobs?
Food industry
Commercial Laboratories
Food Auditing Businesses
Government Departments
Local, regional, national and international government agencies
Job titles to search
Quality Assurance Officer
Quality Assurance Coordinator
Quality Specialist
Food Microbiologist
Food Safety Auditor
Food Safety Officer
Food Safety Officer
Food Microbiologist
Skills required for the job
Quality Assurance Specialists have a range of skills to determine if food products are of a safe for consumption and are of an acceptable standard as assessed by predetermined quality standards. In particular, quality assurance professional’s use risk assessment skills to determine if products are safe and compliant with standards.
Skills you should aim to develop include:
System based skills (continuous improvement of quality systems)
Teamwork, partnership & collaboration skills
Precision (having a good eye for small details)
Communication (e.g. people skills, relationship building)
Project management skills (e.g. organisation, time management, problem solving)
Keen to ensure that our food supply is kept safe and of a very high standard.
How to develop your skills
To give yourself the best opportunity to be job ready at the end of your degree, we recommend that you:
Volunteer work at a food company to get experience of how quality assurance systems and associated programs work in practice.
Find a mentor
Join professional organisations, many offer a student rate for membership (such as Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology)
Attend Professional organisation events or seminars and set yourself a goal to meet two new people every time you attend
When searching for a paid job, look at job opportunities beyond just quality assurance roles and try to match your skills with other entry level jobs within the industry.
What units or courses to study at Deakin
Student enrolled in the Bachelor of Nutrition Science
Units:
HSN204 Food Safety
HSN206 Food Analysis and Quality Assurance
HSN309 Food Policy and Regulation
HSN315 Food Manufacturing and Process Innovation
Registration as a Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology
You can become a Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology with the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology if you gain sufficient food industry related work experience.