Production Technician (Talent Pipeline)

Chinova Bioworks is actively seeking applications from qualified candidates for a Production Technician.  This position reports to the Production Manager.

Chinova Bioworks is an innovative food-technology company that specializes in natural mushroom derived fibers. We make new functional ingredients for the food and beverage industry that help our clients meet significant consumer trends for clean label and healthy preservation. Chinova Bioworks offers competitive salaries and benefits.

This position is for our production facility in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.

Position Summary:

The Production Technician will be an integral member of the operations team and will collaborate with the Operations and R&D teams.  On inception, this role will focus on two primary tasks: (1) undertake regular production operations and, (2) monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize operations (to drive process and product improvements) in our first-generation food additive production plant.

The former focus will require the candidate to use existing Standard Operating Procedures to manufacture a consistently high quality product for commercial sale. Attention to detail and ability to perform light physical labour is essential. Quality manufacturing is the highest priority and careful attention to the process needs to be given. Chinova Bioworks operates under the Global Food Safety Initiative through SQF, and the technician will need to adhere to those standards along with cGMP.

The later focus will consist of data collection/analysis/reporting, process troubleshooting, and process upgrades within the existing production plant. The technician will work directly with the Operations Team and report data to the Production Manager.

This role is very hands-on, fast-paced, and requires the candidate to take ownership of the work. A fundamental understanding of technical knowledge is required, with the ability to implement pragmatically. The individual will have to identify, recommend, and implement strategic projects to improve performance and collaborate with project teams to support process design and implementation of capital projects.

Properly motivated and educated entry-level candidates will be considered. The company has significant opportunities for growth/promotion.

Responsibilities:

• Undertake regular production operations, including inventory management, scheduling, sanitation, and shipping logistics.

• Adhere to and maintain SQF compliance.

• Implement process control analyses to optimize plant performance.

• Write batch/production reports.

• General data collection, analysis, and reporting

• Develop new and keep existing engineering documents up to date (P&IDs, SOPs, Panel Drawings, etc.).

• Work with operations to improve the current process design, increase capacity, improve quality/control, improve functionality, troubleshoot plant deficiencies/bottlenecks, etc.

• Equipment and instrumentation calibration and maintenance.

• Respond to operational deviations and incidents. Investigate the root cause (as a team) and develop and implement a solution.

• Work across operations, engineering and R&D teams to improve existing and develop new, robust, and functional processes.

• Implement commissioning activities (IQ, OQ, PQ/V).

Technical Skills and Knowledge:

• Sound understanding of manufacturing fundamentals and the food production environment (sanitary practices and design, separations, heat treatment, instrumentation, etc.). A controls background is a plus.

• A solid understanding of GFSI, specifically SQF.

• Strong trouble-shooting and hands-on skills

• Excellent communication, presentation, and analytical skills to work with Operations, Engineering, and R&D teams.

• Reading and interpretations skills – ability to interpret technical documentation & testing specifications.

• Technical writing skills

Personal Skills:

• Attention to detail and quality

• Pride and ownership in one’s work

• Self-motivated and driven to meet deadlines and exceed expectations

• Strong safety culture

• Willingness to learn new skills and take on multiple tasks/roles

• Ability to make decisions and execute

• Ability to balance time, cost, and quality

• Organizational and management skills

Education / Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Sciences with 1 – 2 years experience in food or ingredient production

To Apply:

Email a current resume with a cover letter to [email protected]