Heather Kittrell Email & Phone Number

Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States

Yuba City, California

• Supervised the Quality Assurance Lab to maintain product functionality and customer quality standards for food contact packaging in a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) compliant facility. • Coordinated customer and third-party audits. Visited customer sites for feasibility testing, new product testing, and speed trials. Conducted suitability inspections of off-site warehouses to confirm food safety compliance for raw material storage.• Regulated site product structures, customer complaint, and supplier corrective action databases.• Managed customer requests for regulatory letters, new product test material requests, and shelf life testing material inventory.• Led site procurement projects for raw materials, including material suitability, inspection, and testing.• Served as the subject matter expert and trainer for EFI Radius, an inventory management system for collecting and integrating company-wide information for more profitable business management.• Analyzed quality assurance data for trends in product performance and quality. Calculated and tracked quality data for the site and conveyed monthly targets and results. • Supervised all product management functions - purchasing raw materials, shipping, product packaging, and delivery at the location safely and intact. Became one of only five employees who knew every function of the business and utilized that knowledge when leading inspections.• Collaborated with corporate research and development team to develop initiatives that would decrease costs on procurement projects.• Participated in a management group to forecast manpower requirements for various roles, hours, and schedules and considering backlog and throughput.

Yuba City, California

• Inspected and dispositioned Work in Progress (WIP) and finished production goods for food safety and customer approved quality assurance requirements and standards for food contact packaging and re-closeable finished pouches.• Managed customer complaint process and test material job tickets and inventory.• Performed Mock Recalls as site Recall Coordinator, tracing material from receipt of raw materials through shipment of finished goods.• Maintained food safety program to remain compliant with food safety certifications.• Assumed responsibility of purchasing all site material when an urgent situation arose. Without advance notice or knowledge of the job duties, I quickly learned the process so that production continued with no downtime. I was able to train the individual who was permanently selected for the job.• Coordinated multiple projects for new customers, structures, and processes, such as cold seal pattern application and anti-fog application. Supported the technical manager to increase Laminator speed and improve throughput. Worked with Laminator operators to confirm machine suitability; create the test work order; calculate the cost of materials; and confirm machine time with the site scheduler.

Yuba City, California

• Served as the site coordinator of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), a worldwide benchmark for best practices in the food industry. • Developed and managed the GFSI compliant food safety program. Established procedures and ensured that reporting records were in place. Took measures to confirm that specified protocols and guidelines were being followed.• Implemented changes and procedures to achieve the company’s first compliance, which was maintained for the subsequent three years. Met more than 100 individual requirements to demonstrate that procedures and records were in total compliance. • Organized all aspects of product management: planning, production, creation, and distribution. Familiarized myself with the process, procedures, and records. Wrote procedures if none were in place. Handled Documentation Control for the site and sought approval with the managers of the procedure. • Investigated internal quality issues and customer complaints for the site.• Managed the site Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and hazardous chemical list to record physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting chemicals.• Assisted with site procurement projects for raw materials including material suitability, inspection, and testing. Met with suppliers to review pricing and new projects and material offerings.• Designed and delivered training programs on maintaining GFSI compliance through regular internal audits; Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) procedure and food safety principles; and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, food contact quality standards, and internal HACCP inspections.

Hercules, California

• Coordinated and performed the manufacturing of Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) microtiter plates and reagents in a GMP environment.• Trained employees to process, visually inspect, and package EIA plates; manufacture reagents; and maintain sufficient qualified materials.• Consolidated 50+ documents to simplify data capture and ease of use and review.• Assisted Manufacturing Engineering group with projects and procedure changes, including validation, packaging, and training.