Sr. Food Safety/Quality Assurance Analyst

Who is Taco Bell?

Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We went from selling everyone’s favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast to a global brand with 8,200+ restaurants, 350 franchise organizations, that serve 42+ million fans each week around the globe. We’re not only the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world, we’re also part of the biggest restaurant group in the world: Yum! Brands.

Much of our fan love and authentic connection with our communities are rooted in being rebels with a cause. From ensuring we use high quality, sustainable ingredients to elevating restaurant technology in ways that hasn’t been done before… we will continue to be inclusive, bold, challenge the status quo and push industry boundaries.

We’re a company that celebrates and advocates for different, has bold self-expression, strives for a better future, and brings the fun while we’re at it. We fuel our culture with real people who bring unique experiences. We inspire and enable our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we’re Cultural Rebels. Want to join in on the passion-fueled fun? Learn more about the career below.

About the Job:

Taco Bell’s International Food Innovation Team (FIT) is looking for a Sr. FSQA Analyst who will report to the Sr. Manager, FSQA. The role supports the development and delivery of business unit level KPI’s related to restaurant food safety, supplier audit compliance programs, and finished product specifications. The person in this role will have a deep knowledge of Taco Bell brand standards, ingredient standards, as well as a strong understanding of supplier processes and capabilities across the globe.

The Food Innovation Team is a dynamic function within the Taco Bell organization, highly creative yet disciplined, and the launching point for menu innovation. The team is responsible for driving food innovation, equipment solutions, product optimization, food safety and quality assurance compliance, and always pursuing continuous improvement wins. The scope of the role is focused primarily on restaurant and supplier food safety, ingredients, packaging, specifications and sustainable planet commitments across Taco Bell’s international portfolio.

This is a demanding role where the analyst will work regularly with cross-functional partners across both Yum! and Taco Bell Business Units, including Franchise Partners, Commercialization, Supply Chain, Training and Operations. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated individual with the ability to prioritize projects within a fast and evolving atmosphere, quickly identifying barriers/issues while working independently and developing solutions that drive results within timelines. Finally, this individual must enjoy and thrive working in a collaborative team culture!

The Day-to-Day:

• Develop and manage product evaluation templates for all core ingredients that include digital training resources that drive compliance to specifications and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with International Commercialization / Product Development to schedule and evaluate core ingredients in key growth markets, identify areas of improvement needed and work to elevate ingredients to brand standard.
• Support Franchisees and BU Food Innovation Team Leads on the development of Approved Ingredient and Chemical Lists, leveraging sourcing data from Supply Chain and ensuring only approved ingredients enter our restaurants.
• Learn and become a highly proficient user of global food safety systems, including TrueView, DOMO and other 3rd party sites, such as our restaurant auditing platform.
• Manage the distribution of KPI reports for Restaurant and Supplier Food Safety compliance.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to support food safety initiatives across various ingredient categories.

Is This You?

• BA/BS required; Science degree preferred (e.g., Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
• 5 years’ work experience: FSQA, food manufacturing, specification development, etc.
• Intentional partner and collaborator across multiple functional groups
• Effective communication, influencing and interpersonal skills.
• Command of MS Office Suite, developing complex database queries
• Strong organizational skills, with ability to work independently and multi-task in a complex, fast-paced, and deadline-driven environment.
• Resourceful nature, with strong problem-solving ability and desire to drive results.
• The ideal candidate will be based in Southern California and work out of the Irvine office.

Travel is minimal (2 – 4 trips/year) which could include both US and International destinations.

Work-Hard, Play-Hard:

• Hybrid work schedule and year-round flex day Friday
• Onsite childcare through Bright Horizons
• Onsite dining center and game room (yes, there is a Taco Bell inside the building)
• Onsite dry cleaning, laundry services, carwash,
• Onsite gym with fitness classes and personal trainer sessions
• Up to 4 weeks of vacation per year plus holidays and time off for volunteering
• Generous parental leave for all new parents and adoption assistance program
• 401(k) with a 6% matching contribution from Yum! Brands with immediate vesting
• Comprehensive medical & dental including prescription drug benefits and 100% preventive care
• Discounts, free food, swag and… honestly, too many good benefits to name

Salary Range: $96,000 to $112,900 annually + bonus eligibility + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

At Taco Bell, we Live Más and invite you to do the same. Take a seat at our table. Bring your voice. Bring you, just as you are, a Cultural Rebel. We want you to be your best self!

Taco Bell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging for all dimensions of diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Taco Bell is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities or special needs.

Employment eligibility to work with Taco Bell in the U.S. is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for this position.

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