Overview
Loading dock quality control (QC) Jobs in Salinas, CA at Drew Massa Cooling
Job Summary
We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Quality Control Specialist to support our pallet-in/pallet-out produce cross-dock cooler operations. This position is responsible for inspecting incoming and outgoing produce shipments, verifying product quality and temperature, maintaining food-safety standards, and ensuring pallets and shipments meet customer and company requirements.
The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a refrigerated environment, has strong attention to detail, and can quickly identify quality, temperature, packaging, labeling, and pallet integrity issues. This role plays an important part in maintaining product freshness, minimizing loss and damage, and ensuring accurate and efficient movement of produce through the facility.
Key Responsibilities
Inspect incoming and outgoing pallets of fresh produce for quality, condition, temperature, packaging, labeling, and overall shipment integrity.
Verify product meets customer specifications, company quality standards, and applicable food-safety requirements.
Check product temperatures using calibrated thermometers and document results accurately.
Identify and report damaged, spoiled, short-dated, mislabeled, or otherwise non-conforming product.
Inspect pallets for proper stacking, wrapping, labeling, stability, and overall condition prior to movement or shipment.
Verify pallet counts, product identification, lot codes, dates, and other shipment information against receiving and shipping documentation.
Monitor cooler conditions and promptly report temperature or storage issues that could affect product quality or food safety.
Perform receiving and shipping quality checks and document inspection results, discrepancies, and corrective actions.
Assist with product holds, rejections, rework, and disposition of non-conforming product as directed.
Follow established HACCP, GMP, food-safety, sanitation, and workplace safety procedures.
Maintain accurate records for traceability, inspections, temperature checks, and quality issues.
Communicate quality concerns promptly to supervisors, warehouse personnel, transportation teams, and other appropriate departments.
Help investigate recurring quality issues and recommend practical improvements to reduce product loss, damage, and customer complaints.
Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area in accordance with company standards.
Perform other duties related to produce quality and cross-dock operations as assigned.
Qualifications & Experience
Previous experience in produce, food distribution, warehouse, cold storage, cross-dock, quality control, or related operations preferred.
Knowledge of fresh produce quality, handling, storage, and temperature requirements preferred.
Familiarity with HACCP, GMP, food-safety practices, and sanitation procedures.
Experience using handheld thermometers and other basic inspection tools.
Ability to accurately read product labels, lot codes, dates, pallet tags, and shipping/receiving documentation.
Strong attention to detail and ability to identify product defects, damage, temperature deviations, and shipment discrepancies.
Basic math skills, including counting, measurements, and inventory/pallet verification.
Ability to work independently and make sound decisions within established quality procedures.
Strong communication and documentation skills.
Ability to work in a refrigerated/cooler environment for extended periods.
Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and safely handle or inspect pallets and product throughout the work shift.
Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, early mornings, evenings, or overnight shifts as required by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with produce receiving or shipping inspections.
Experience with pallet-in/pallet-out cross-dock operations.
Experience using warehouse management systems (WMS), RF scanners, tablets, or other inventory technology.
Familiarity with produce grading standards and customer-specific quality specifications.
Experience documenting non-conformances, product holds, temperature deviations, and corrective actions.
Food-safety certification or training is a plus.
What We’re Looking For
The successful candidate will be reliable, observant, organized, and comfortable working in a fast-paced refrigerated warehouse environment. You should be able to recognize quality issues quickly, communicate concerns clearly, and maintain accurate records while supporting the efficient movement of fresh produce.
Your attention to detail will help protect product quality, reduce waste and damage, maintain food safety, and ensure our customers receive fresh, properly handled produce.
This version is much better aligned with a produce cross-dock operation and should attract warehouse/food-distribution QC candidates rather than manufacturing QA engineers.
If you want, I can also turn this into a more compelling Indeed-style job ad with a job title, pay/benefits section, physical requirements, and a shorter “Why Join Us?” section.
Pay: $19.00 – $23.00 per hour
Expected hours: 60.0 – 75.0 per week
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
Application Question(s):
- Able to read and write in English?
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Preferred)
Experience:
- Warehouse: 1 year (Preferred)
Language:
- Spanish (Preferred)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Preferred)
- Night Shift (Preferred)
- Overnight Shift (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
Title: Loading dock quality control (QC)
Company: Drew Massa Cooling
Location: Salinas, CA
Category:
