Lakeside Farm Overview
Lakeside Farm is a leading grower of fresh specialty mushrooms. As a company, we value integrity, customer service and innovation. We strive to reflect these values in the products we deliver and the services we provide. We offer a broad line of specialty mushrooms, focusing on safety and efficiency in all aspects of production to ensure freshness and a higher quality product.
Job Summary
Lakeside Farm Inc. is seeking a detail-oriented and organized Food Safety & Quality Coordinator to support our food safety, quality assurance, and audit programs.
This role is responsible for maintaining food safety and quality systems, ensuring required documentation is completed, supporting audit preparation, conducting routine inspections, and following up on corrective actions. The Food Safety & Quality Coordinator will work closely with Operations, Production, Facilities, and Management to ensure compliance with company standards and customer requirements.
This position focuses on maintaining and supporting existing programs rather than developing new food safety systems.
Key Responsibilities:
Food Safety & Quality Program Maintenance
- Maintain food safety and quality documentation, records, and logs
- Ensure required forms and records are completed accurately and on time
- Monitor compliance with SOPs, GMPs, and food safety programs
- Track corrective actions and verify completion
- Assist with traceability exercises and record reviews
- Support customer and regulatory requirements
Audit Preparation & Support
- Assist in preparing for customer, regulatory, and third-party audits
- Organize audit documentation and records
- Conduct pre-audit reviews and identify gaps
- Support auditors during onsite visits
- Track audit findings and corrective actions
Inspections & Verification
- Conduct routine GMP inspections throughout the facility
- Perform glass, brittle plastic, and facility inspections
- Verify sanitation and housekeeping standards
- Conduct food safety and quality observations in production areas
- Report non-conformances and follow up on corrective actions
Training & Documentation
- Maintain food safety training records
- Coordinate employee food safety training sessions
- Ensure training documentation is current and complete
- Assist with onboarding of new employees regarding food safety requirements
Communication & Follow-Up
- Follow up with department leads regarding outstanding records, corrective actions, and compliance issues
- Escalate recurring issues to management
- Work collaboratively with Operations, Production, Facilities, and HR teams
- Support continuous improvement initiatives related to food safety and quality
Qualifications:
Required
- Postsecondary education in Food Science, Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Agriculture, Biology, or a related field
- Strong organizational and documentation skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities
- Strong communication and follow-up skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)
Preferred
- 1–3 years of food manufacturing, agriculture, food safety, or quality assurance experience
- Knowledge of HACCP principles
- Experience with food safety audits (SQF, CanadaGAP, PrimusGFS, BRCGS, or similar)
- Experience conducting inspections or compliance audits
Success in This Role
A successful Food Safety & Quality Coordinator will:
- Keep food safety records organized and audit-ready
- Ensure compliance issues are identified and followed through to completion
- Help maintain successful audit outcomes
- Build strong working relationships with department leaders
- Prevent important food safety tasks from falling through the cracks
- Contribute to a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement
Work Environment:
- In-person in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.
- Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Work schedule based on production needs, including weekends and overtime as required.
- Work in physically demanding environments, including humid growing rooms and production areas.
- Exposure to organic materials, temperature variations, and repetitive lifting tasks.
Pay: $22.00-$28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Do you currently hold any relevant certifications/education related to the field?
Work Location: In person