Quality Assurance Specialist Jobs in California

Quality Assurance Specialist

Location: Los Angeles, CA (In-Office)

Travel: Up to 25% of the time

Sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthy communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 5,000 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we're committed to leaving people better than we found them. We're in the business of feeding people, and we're out to change what that means. Our teams are our most valuable ingredient, the heart of our company, the face of our brand, and what truly makes the sweetgreen experience special and unique.

Sweetgreen's Supply Chain Quality Assurance program is organized around five pillars: Specification Management, Supplier Qualification, Audit & Compliance, HACCP & CTQ, and Regulatory Compliance. At Sweetgreen, Quality sets the standards, and business teams own compliance.

The Quality Assurance Specialist is an individual contributor on the Supply Chain Quality Assurance team and the program's hands-on executor across all five quality pillars. The ideal candidate will have experience turning category quality strategy into day-to-day execution, developing and maintaining specifications, processing supplier qualification documentation, coordinating audits and corrective actions, and supporting culinary hand-offs. This person will ensure the underlying records, specs, and compliance activities are accurate, complete, and on schedule. We are looking for a detail-oriented quality professional with strong fundamentals in food science, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for real food.

You will:

• Own and continuously evolve the ingredient and finished product specification and CTQ frameworks across the portfolio, setting the standards and methods that ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with Sweetgreen's quality standards, regulatory requirements, and culinary intent (Specification Management)
• Lead the supplier qualification process end-to-end, independently reviewing onboarding documentation, third-party audits, HACCP and Food Safety Plans, product specs, and allergen declarations, and making supplier approval recommendations (Supplier Qualification)
• Drive the supplier audit and compliance program, coordinating third-party and internal audits, adjudicating corrective actions to closure, and maintaining audit standards, schedules, and documentation (Audit & Compliance)
• Serve as the subject matter expert for HACCP and CTQ programs, conducting hazard analyses, defining critical control point documentation, and leading verification activities related to ingredient and supplier risk (HACCP & CTQ)
• Own Sweetgreen's regulatory compliance activities, including label and allergen review, FSMA 204 traceability documentation, and ingredient attribute standards (Regulatory Compliance)
• Lead the culinary hand-off process from supplier to restaurant, partnering with the Culinary and Supply Management teams to ensure new and modified ingredients meet quality, food safety, and operational requirements before launch
• Establish and maintain QA documentation systems and standards, including supplier certificates of analysis (COAs), letters of guarantee, allergen statements, and compliance records
• Analyze supplier quality performance using data from FoodLogiQ and other quality management systems, identifying trends and independently driving issues to resolution
• Develop process documentation, SOPs, and quality system enhancements, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the QA function's methods and techniques and supporting LTO and new product introduction (NPI) timelines

Desired traits:

• A subject matter expert who takes full ownership of specifications, documentation, and compliance activities with thoroughness and precision
• An independent operator who can prioritize and drive multiple workstreams across audits, specifications, and culinary
• A strong communicator who partners effectively across Culinary, Supply Management, and Operations to translate quality requirements into practical execution
• A food safety advocate with deep curiosity about ingredients, sourcing, and what it takes to deliver real food at scale
• A sustainability-minded professional with an interest in responsible sourcing, including regenerative agriculture, animal welfare standards, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction
• A continuous improvement mindset, comfortable with developing new standards, methods, and tools that strengthen the QA function
• This role requires spending up to 25% of the time traveling to visit suppliers, co-manufacturers, and distribution facilities

Desired experience:

• 4-5 years of experience in food quality assurance, food safety, or a related role within food manufacturing, foodservice, or restaurant supply chain; Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• Demonstrated expertise in ingredient specification development and management, including COAs, allergen documentation, and nutritional labeling
• Experience leading or supporting supplier audit programs (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, or similar) and corrective action tracking
• Working knowledge of HACCP principles, food safety regulations (FDA, USDA), and quality management systems
• Strong organizational skills with proficiency in managing documentation, databases, and quality tracking tools; experience with FoodLogiQ or similar platforms preferred
• Exposure to culinary development processes, new product launches, or menu innovation within a restaurant or foodservice environment is highly preferred

What you'll get:

• Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
• Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Flexible PTO plan
• 401k program
• Employee HSA and FSA
• Complimentary greens
• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
• To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
• Free sweetgreen swag

Come join the sweetlife!

About sweetgreen

Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since 2007, Sweetgreen has reimagined fast food to be fresh, flavorful, and rooted in relationships with farmers and communities. As we grow, we are committed to developing our people in our restaurants and at our support center, so that everyone can be part of the movement. When you join Sweetgreen, you not only invest in your own future but help create spaces where food, people, and purpose come together

Sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for all employees and applicants, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service in the uniformed services of the United States, or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.

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