Dawn Kjarsgaard, Quality Assurance Manager
Basic Facts
Employer: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
Typical Education: University Degree
Salary Range: $40,000 to $70,000
Skill Type: Science & Technology (NOC 2)
Industry Sector: Manufacturing (NAICS 31-33)
NOC Code: 9213
NOC Occupation: Food Processing Supervisor
Useful High School Subjects:
- English
- Computer-related courses
- Math
- Mechanics/Industrial Arts
- Biology (added)
- Chemistry (added)
Using My Education
Using My Education(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"It's using my background and my education. This job is really using everything I went to school for."
My Job
MY JOBTitle: Quality Assurance Manager
Key Tasks & Responsibilities:
- ensure the quality, consistency and safety of food products
- oversee inspection of fish coming and going
- monitor plant cleanliness and employee hygiene
- develop new safety and quality standards
- document compliance with quality and safety standards
Started Job: 2000
Supervises:
- 1 laboratory technician
- 3 to 5 floor inspectors, depending on the season
Reports to: President/CEO TOC
Excellent Staff
Excellent StaffThe people I have working for me are all excellent, so generally it's just a bit of instruction at the beginning of the day and they report back to me.
They know what I need to know. They know the big issues I need to see before anything goes out.
Business Changing
Business Changing(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"In Freshwater, we have grown in general. Our sales are up. Right now we're mainly doing wholesale. So we sell to a broker and then they subdivide that into retail markets.
"But we are getting more into retail markets and that's increasing our returns."
Where I Work
Where I WorkFreshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
- Federal crown corporation
- Buys, processes and markets all commercial freshwater fish in the Prairies, the NW Territories and part of NW Ontario
- Serves 2,760 fishers on over 400 lakes
- 70-350 employees, depending on the season
Mandate
Maximize revenue to fishers by focusing on product quality and safety
New Products
New ProductsWalleye Fingers
A while ago, we had large pickerel fillets that we didn't really have a market for. So we came up with walleye fingers, kind of like chicken strips and now they're sold as bar appetizers in the States.
Burbot: Fish with a Future?
Our fishers get a lot of burbot as "bycatch" with our other fish. Right now we don't have a use for it, but we're doing some product development. I run a monthly taste panel on the frozen burbot.
About Me
ABOUT MEBackground
- came from Saskatchewan in 1998
- married with 3 children
Interests/Activities
- curling, baseball
- camping (all seasons)
- hiking, cycling
- coaching kids soccer and baseball
- chair of the Mission Gardens Play Centre TOC
People
People(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"I've always worked with people. I've haven't ever really worked alone. Even growing up in a relatively large family, I guess. So I'm used to working in a group of people or with other people. So that fits my personality.
"And I'm also pretty strong willed, so if we have an issue in the plant I don't have a problem getting my point across."
Active Family
Active FamilyWe're a pretty active family. We do a lot of outdoor activities like camping all year round and going hiking and things like that.
My children are involved in baseball and soccer and I help coach their teams as well. So we're all fairly high energy, active people.
Work and Home
Work and HomeI like the flexibility in this job. We run three full shifts and I have a role on all three of those shifts. So if I need to do something at home, I can take the afternoon off and come back in the evening.
I also work a lot of weekends when we're busy so I can take some extra time off in the summer.
My Day
MY DAY6:00 am: Plant inspection: contamination checks, review with staff
7:00 am: Plan daily inspections on incoming products
7:30 am: Plan inspections and microbiology lab work
8:00 am: Daily production and team meetings and/or weekly marketing meeting
10:00 am: Review inspection and technician reports
11:00 am: On-floor product sampling, inspections, employee hygiene monitoring
12:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm: Contact suppliers for issues seen during the day
1:30 pm: Review sanitation reports and graph the results
2:00 pm: Update HACCP*, other documents, fill out inspection sheet notification to suppliers
3:00 pm: Go home! TOC
Less Hands On
Less Hands On(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"Since hiring the technician, I'm actually only on the floor maybe an hour, an hour and a half a day... I'd be on the floor working with the product, working with people.
"Other than that, I'm now more into supervising and paperwork, working on the phone, on the computers, into meetings. So I'm not on the floor much anymore."
Technology Turnover
Technology TurnoverThere are always new technologies emerging to help us do our work faster and better. For instance:
- an "in-house" microbiology lab for faster turnaround
- an ATP tester that identifies Adenosine Triphosphate, an indication that processing equipment may not have been adequately sterilized
- new Listeria testing kits that show the presence of this microbe in minutes, not days.
All these help keep the fish moving!
Pace
PacePace, Intensity, Interaction
Generally the first couple of hours are pretty standard. After that, it can change minute by minute. You have to be moving all the time and be ready to jump whenever somebody needs something done.
Change
My job is always changing. I went from writing a manual to being on the floor six hours a day. Now I'm in management. We've built a lab and we're getting into new markets so I'm getting more involved with customers.
HACCP?
HACCP?HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
HACCP principles were first developed for the NASA space program. It's a complete safety and quality system that controls raw materials, their processing and how employees interact with them and the plant environment.
Federal authorities are increasingly urging the food industry to implement HACCP in their operations.
Me and My Job
ME AND MY JOBLikes
- being called to the floor to help solve problems
- the microbiology
- teaching and working with people.
- inspecting our suppliers in the field
- training our fishers and agents on the lakes
Challenges
- being less hands on as a manager
- finding the right ways to deal with difficult people TOC
Less Hands On
Less Hands OnGetting into this management position means a lot more paperwork and meetings, so that's more cumbersome.
I'd rather be out on the floor a little more than I am. I miss the hands-on.
Proud Of?
Proud Of?The HACCP Plan for Freshwater Fish
Since I put in the HACCP we've been audited four times by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency without a single "non-compliance", which is their big issue.
The Microbiology Lab
Now we can do all our own in-house testing. Previously we were sending microbiology analysis out to an outside lab and it was taking 10-14 days sometimes to get our results back and we can't afford to wait that long.
Microbiology
MicrobiologyI really like the microbiology part of my job. It's like being an investigator, trying to figure out where the problem might be and then looking for the solutions. It's quite a fascinating area.
Demand
Demand(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"All of the departments are using Quality Control more than they ever were. The Field Operations people want to know how their fisherman are sending in fish. The Plant Manager, he wants reports on how the quality of the fish is all the time. And they didn't have that before.
"Instead of sales coming to me and wanting answers to questions, customers are going directly to me now and asking questions and wanting results back."
My Resume
MY RESUMEEducation
1994: Bachelor of Science/Agriculture (BSA)
Major in Food Science, Minor in Applied Microbiology
Experience
2000-2002: Quality Assurance Manager, Freshwater Fish
1998-2000: Quality Assurance Supervisor, Freshwater Fish
1995-1997: Food Scientist/Quality Assurance consultant, "Quality First", a government program run by the University of Saskatchewan
1992-1995: Quality Assurance Technician then Manager, Great Western Brewing Company TOC
Education
EducationFor a career like this, you'd need a background in sciences: food science, microbiology, biochemistry, nutrition. Those are all courses that I use on a regular basis, especially the microbiology. We also use biochemistry quite a bit.
For this particular job, I think you should have a degree. Experience in some aspect of quality management is also necessary.
Experience
Experience(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"While I was in school I worked for a brewing company and I ended up to be the Quality Control Manager there for a couple of years. Then I went back to the university for a couple more years and worked for a government grant, driving around the province helping food companies with any quality assurance issues they had.
"And then we moved to Winnipeg. I did a little bit of consulting here where I helped a couple of companies. And from there I've been to Freshwater now for about five years, where we wrote the HACCP plan and gradually grew into the Quality Assurance Department that I'm running."
Promotion
PromotionThis job has changed a lot. I went from being a consultant to supervising the setup of the Quality Assurance department, inspecting on the floor and working hands-on with people.
Now I'm the Quality Assurance Manager. I oversee all product quality and safety as well as the employee chemical safety program. I'm also getting more involved with customers. If they have questions and complaints, I deal with them directly.
Skills
SkillsCommunication
When dealing with the agencies and the fishermen, you have to be very diplomatic, because you're telling them about problems they've sent in. Dealing with people on the floor, especially with hygiene problems, can be tricky too. You have to be able to talk about it without embarrassing them.
Problem Solving
I got my problem solving skills from my university experience; being able to pull all the facts together and solve the problem right away.
Development
DevelopmentProfessional Development
- Technical courses from National Seafood Sector Council
- "Managing for Performance"
(short course)
- "Dealing with Unions"
(short course)
Affiliations
- Education and Training Committee, Manitoba Food Processing Association (MFPA)
- Member, Canadian Institute of Food Science Technologies (CIFST)
My Future
MY FUTUREThe Need for Quality Assurance
I think the amount of testing and the number of regulations related to food safety will continue to increase in the future.
Quality Assurance is going to have to grow, especially with companies that make ready-to-eat products. When you look at the news right now, you hear about food product recalls, and the government agencies are picking up on that.
They're requiring more and more tests to be done to make sure there are no contamination or microbiology problems or even chemistry problems in the product. TOC
New Jobs
New JobsQuality Assurance positions are going to come up in smaller to mid-sized companies because of new regulations.
People are going to have to be prepared to be on their own and self-sustaining, because you could be a jack of all trades for the first few years until you get established.
Quality Future
Quality FutureThe quality control field will continue to grow. It has to. We'll see worldwide standards, especially for microbial and chemical contaminants.
That will change how we test and what we test for. Manufacturers will carry more of the responsibility.
Further Education
Further Education(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)
"I also have long term plans to finish my Masters Degree and maybe get back into the university setting...do some research or maybe get into some more lecturing again."
Return To Field
Return To FieldI think I'll stay where I am for the next few years. After that, I'd like to go out into the field, working with the fishers and the agencies that are sending the fish into us and explaining to them the importance of how they pack their fish, quality, cleanliness and things like that.
Useful Links
MORE INFODawn's path began with a degree in Sciences. Experience in various food processing companies trained her for the job she has now. She has also studied Quality Assurance practises as part of her journey.
This job requires continual upgrading of skills and information to keep pace with technological, biological and health and safety advances.
In general, a degree or college diploma in a related field such as food science, environmental studies, chemistry or health and safety is usually required. Some companies may accept people with work experience in a similar field with in-house training on their specific quality assurance issues.
Experience in working with people is essential for almost every type of management position and is something only gained on the job as you work your way up the ladder.
Job Market Info
Job Market InfoThe links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.
The official name for Dawn's occupation is 'Food Processing Supervisor' and its NOC* code is 9213.
Job Futures
Manitoba Labour Market Information
Human Resources Development Canada
*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.
Education
Education
Useful High School Subjects*
- English
- Computer-related courses
- Math
- Mechanics/Industrial Arts
- Biology (added)
- Chemistry (added)
*Source: Job Futures.ca
Below are links to various programs and courses that will put you on the path to a career in Quality Assurance Management.
University of Manitoba
Food Science
Microbiology
Faculty of Science
Red River College
Full Time Programs
Quality Assurance is part of several programs at Red River including:
-Applied Biology (articulated with the U of W Biology program below)
-Chemical and Biosciences Technology
-Applied Chemistry
University of Winnipeg
Biochemistry
Biology (articulated with the Red River 'Applied Biology' program above)
Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface
Faculté des sciences
Brandon University
Chemistry
Industry Association
Industry AssociationFrom french fry factories to fish markets; from fresh herbs to food-based pharmaceuticals, the Manitoba Food Processors Association - MFPA exists to support and promote Manitoba's food industry to the world.
The MFPA gives Manitoba's food producers a powerful voice in the global marketplace and ensures continuous health for our province's food industry through ongoing training initiatives, networking, industry publications and sales promotions under the "Manitoba Made" logo.
Related Careers
Related CareersLinks to information on related careers from various government web sites:
Chemical Technologists (NOC 2211)
Supervisors, Food, Beverage and Tobacco
HACCP Coordinators
(both NOC 9213)
Testers and Graders, Food and Beverage Processors (NOC 9465)
Agricultural and Fish Products Inspectors (NOC 2222)
Professional Associations
Professional AssociationsThe Canadian Institute of Food Science Technologies provides a forum for food professionals to network, train and mentor within the food science industry. They have several programs and scholarships for students considering a career in Food Sciences.
The Manitoba Quality Network (QNET) is a network of individuals and organizations that focuses on organizational effectiveness and quality improvement. Their membership includes the service, manufacturing, health care, government, education, and not-for-profit industries.