Food Safety Specialist

Company Description Ayco Farms Inc. is dedicated to providing farm-fresh fruits and vegetables with outstanding value to customers across multiple growing and shipping regions. The company serves retailers, food service organizations, and wholesalers, focusing on high-quality produce and reliable service. Ayco Farms emphasizes hard work, deep thinking, and going the extra step to ensure customer satisfaction. The organization is strongly committed to sustainability and corporate responsibility, working with a family of growers, employees, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to deliver healthy, full-flavored produce using safe, earth-friendly practices.Role Description The Food Safety Specialist is a full-time, on-site role based in Zacapa, Guatemala. This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring food safety and quality programs across growing, harvesting, packing, and shipping operations. Day-to-day tasks include conducting inspections and audits, verifying compliance with local and international food safety standards, maintaining documentation and records, and coordinating corrective actions when non-conformities are identified. The Food Safety Specialist will collaborate with production, quality assurance, and operations teams to train staff on good agricultural practices, hygiene, and safety procedures. The role also involves supporting continuous improvement initiatives, preparing for customer and third-party audits, and communicating food safety performance and risks to leadership.Qualifications Candidates should possess skills in Food Science and Food Safety to design, manage, and evaluate safe handling and processing practices.Candidates should possess skills in Food Quality and Quality Assurance to monitor product standards and implement corrective and preventive actions.Candidates should possess knowledge of Food Service operations to understand customer requirements, handling practices, and distribution environments.Experience with agricultural or fresh produce operations, including good agricultural and manufacturing practices, is beneficial.Familiarity with HACCP, GlobalG.A.P., SQF, or similar food safety certification schemes is preferred.Strong analytical, documentation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to conduct audits and root-cause analyses.Effective communication skills and the ability to train diverse teams on food safety procedures.Relevant technical degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Microbiology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience in food safety and quality.Ability to work on-site in Zacapa, Guatemala and travel within growing and packing regions as needed.