Specialist, Compliance - Food

Job Summary

The Compliance Specialist will assist with maintaining, conceptualizing, building, and implementing Dollarama food preventive control plan. They will be knowledgeable and current on all legislation surrounding food safety issues in Canada and will anticipate developments and recommend responsive measures. 

The incumbent will assist with managing food safety and quality through the entire product lifecycle, ensuring compliance and adherence to governmental requirements. This role also involves being responsible for leading safety and quality investigations in response to customer complaints or mandatory regulatory actions for products sold by Dollarama.

The Compliance Specialist will play a key role in ensuring Dollarama’s food products meet and exceed quality and safety standards for their customers.

Key Accountabilities

• Maintain and ensure the seamless operation of the Dollarama Preventive Control Plan in compliance with Canadian requirements.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders such as buyers, members of the legal department and vendors to support new product procurement process and complete regulatory evaluation for new items.
• Investigate food quality and safety issues raised internally, or by government agencies. 
• Initiate and follow up on corrective actions as required. Act with speed and efficiency during investigations and ensure timely resolution in collaboration with buyers and vendors.
• Write investigation reports and provide corrective actions to CFIA as applicable. 
• Be a key member for food product recalls or withdrawals.
• Evaluate certifications, audit reports, and product technical reports to conduct vendor risk assessments for new and current vendors and make recommendations in accordance with applicable guidelines and standards.
• Collect and review technical labels, evaluate packaging, product formulations and claims documentation to ensure the compliant labeling of products against the appropriate regulations, guidelines and internal standards.
• Collect and review technical certificates of analysis to ensure products comply with specifications and meet appropriate standards.
• Maintain accurate product information in the different systems used internally.
• Remain up to date on food safety and quality trends. 
• Proactively staying abreast of new regulations, assessing their business impact, and determining suitable implementation timelines with the team.
• Drafting, revising, and reviewing procedures and policies as needed.
• Conduct sample evaluation as part of Food Control Plan or as required during product investigations to ensure product quality consistency and determine on-going acceptability standards of existing products.
• Participating in manufacturing site technical visits and completing visit checklists. Following up on observations and actions required and issuing status update reports. 

Job Requirements

• University or CEGEP level diploma or equivalent in food science and nutrition and/or chemistry.
• At least three (3) years of progressive experience in food safety or quality assurance, gained within food retail or related manufacturing environments with multi-commodity perishable products.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Canadian Food & Drugs Act, the Safe food for Canadians act as well as regulations adopted under them.
• Work effectively as an individual with minimal supervision and as a team member.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP and Food Safety requirements.
• Experienced in product recalls and crisis management.
• Experience in auditing production facilities, distribution centers and retail stores
• Ability to research regulatory issues and provide recommendations for resolution.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated, well organized and detail oriented.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work in a fast paced and high-volume environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Willingness to travel on occasion.
• Bilingual (French and English).