PennRose Farms LLC is a grower-owned, solutions-based supply chain management company. Through common ownership of our family of companies, we grow, ship, source, and manage the production of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and other global growing regions. We proudly serve retail, wholesale, club, foodservice, and processing customers while maintaining the highest standards of product quality, food safety, and customer satisfaction. The Quality Control Coordinator plays a critical role in protecting PennRose Farms' reputation and customer relationships by ensuring all fresh produce meets customer specifications, regulatory requirements, food safety standards, and company expectations. This position is responsible for evaluating incoming and outgoing products, monitoring inventory quality, identifying quality risks, documenting inspection results, and communicating findings to management, sales, operations, customers, and suppliers. The ideal candidate possesses strong produce knowledge, understands USDA grading standards, customer specifications, defect tolerances, cold chain management, and postharvest handling practices, and demonstrates exceptional judgement, communication skills, and attention to detail.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Product Quality Inspections Perform detailed inspections of inbound and outbound produce shipments. Evaluate quality, condition, maturity, sizing, color, pack style, labeling, and appearance. Verify compliance with USDA grades, customer specifications, and company standards.
Examine products for defects including:
Decay Breakdown Shrivel Bruising Mechanical damage Sunburn Chilling injury Insect damage Mold Foreign material Food safety concerns Conduct random lot audits and inventory quality assessments. Determine product suitability for customer orders and intended market channels. Inventory Quality Management Monitor aging inventory and identify product quality risks. Recommend inventory rotation priorities utilizing
FIFO/FEFO
principles. Evaluate shelf-life expectations and customer destination requirements. Coordinate product segregation when quality concerns are identified. Assist with inventory disposition decisions including: Ship Repack Regrade Hold Donate Dispose Temperature & Cold Chain Monitoring Verify product pulp temperatures and trailer temperatures. Monitor cold storage conditions and temperature records. Identify and escalate temperature abuses or cold chain interruptions. Ensure products are maintained within customer and commodity-specific temperature ranges. Assist with investigations involving temperature claims and transportation failures. Customer Specification Compliance Review customer specifications and quality manuals. Ensure customer-specific requirements are consistently applied. Verify product labeling, packaging, pallet configuration, and shipping requirements. Support customer audits and quality reviews. Maintain understanding of retailer, foodservice, club store, and wholesale quality requirements. Repacking & Reconditioning Oversight Monitor repacking, relabeling, and reconditioning activities. Verify products are repacked according to approved specifications. Ensure proper defect removal and product handling practices. Document yields, losses, quality findings, and process improvements. Verify accuracy of finished packed products. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance Support company food safety programs and regulatory compliance initiatives. Follow all Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). Assist with implementation and monitoring of: FSMA requirements HACCP programs Preventive Controls Traceability initiatives Recall preparedness procedures Immediately report food safety risks or product contamination concerns. Documentation & Reporting Complete accurate and timely inspection reports. Maintain photographic documentation of quality issues. Record observations using approved QC software and recordkeeping systems.
Generate reports related to:
Quality trends Claims Defect analysis Product arrivals Inventory quality status Maintain organized records supporting traceability and customer audits. Claims Investigation & Corrective Actions Participate in customer complaint and claim investigations. Assist with root cause analysis of quality issues.
Collect supporting documentation including:
Inspection reports Photographs Temperature records Receiving documents Recommend corrective and preventive actions. Communicate findings to management and affected stakeholders. Communication & Collaboration Coordinate daily with: Sales Procurement Operations Warehouse personnel Transportation providers Growers and suppliers Provide objective quality assessments and recommendations. Communicate potential quality risks before shipment. Support customer service efforts related to product quality concerns. Participate in operational and quality review meetings. Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities to improve quality systems and inspection processes. Support training initiatives for warehouse and production personnel. Assist with development of standardized inspection procedures. Participate in quality trend analysis and continuous improvement projects. Promote a culture of quality, food safety, and accountability.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Technical Knowledge Strong understanding of fresh produce commodities and postharvest physiology. Knowledge of USDA Grade Standards. Understanding of fresh produce defects, maturity standards, and shelf-life factors. Knowledge of cold chain management and transportation requirements. Understanding of food safety principles and produce traceability requirements. Familiarity with customer specifications and retailer requirements. Inspection Skills Ability to accurately evaluate produce quality and condition. Strong decision-making ability regarding shipment suitability.
Experience using:
Thermometers Infrared temperature devices Refractometers Penetrometers Digital cameras/mobile inspection systems Analytical Skills Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis abilities. Ability to identify quality trends and emerging risks. Ability to make objective, fact-based recommendations. Communication Skills Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to professionally communicate quality findings. Ability to interact effectively with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.
Computer Skills Proficiency with:
Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Teams Quality reporting systems Inventory management systems Famous Software experience preferred
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Required High School Diploma or equivalent. Minimum 3 years of quality control experience in fresh produce, food manufacturing, warehousing, or related industry. Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record. Preferred Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Plant Science, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, or related field. 5+ years of fresh produce quality control experience. Experience with imported produce programs. Experience with retailer quality programs. Bilingual English/Spanish. HACCP Certification. Produce Safety Alliance training. USDA inspection experience.
SUCCESS FACTORS A
successful Quality Control Coordinator consistently: Protects the company's reputation and customer relationships. Demonstrates sound judgement under pressure. Makes objective quality decisions based on facts and standards. Identifies quality concerns before customer impact occurs. Maintains strong attention to detail. Creates clear, accurate, and timely documentation. Works effectively across multiple departments. Balances quality standards with operational realities.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
Ability to work in refrigerated warehouse environments. Ability to work around forklifts, warehouse traffic, and loading dock activities. Ability to stand, walk, bend, crouch, kneel, and reach throughout the workday. Ability to lift up to 30 pounds occasionally. Ability to work flexible hours including weekends, evenings, and holidays when business needs require. Ability to travel to warehouses, cooling facilities, farms, repacking facilities, and customer locations as needed.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
(KPIs) Inspection accuracy Customer claim reduction Inventory shrink reduction On-time inspection completion Temperature compliance rate Traceability compliance rate Food safety compliance rate Repack yield performance Customer specification compliance Quality issue response time This version is much closer to what major produce organizations such as Dole, Fresh Del Monte, Taylor Farms, Church Brothers, NatureSweet, Oppy, Coastal Sunbelt, Markon, and large retail distribution operations use when hiring top-tier produce quality professionals, while remaining practical for Pennrose Farms' warehouse, sourcing, and customer-service-oriented environment.
