Food Safety Specialist

About the role

Ayco Farms Inc. is seeking a Food Safety Specialist to lead and support food safety and quality programs across its growing, harvesting, packing and shipping operations in Zacapa, Guatemala. The role is full‑time, on‑site and focuses on ensuring compliance with local and international standards while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, implement and monitor food safety and quality programs throughout the production chain.
• Conduct regular inspections, internal audits and verify compliance with HACCP, GlobalG.A.P., SQF and other certification schemes.
• Maintain accurate documentation, records and corrective‑action plans for any non‑conformities.
• Train production, QA and operations teams on good agricultural practices, hygiene and safety procedures.
• Support continuous‑improvement initiatives and prepare for customer and third‑party audits.
• Report food‑safety performance, risks and improvement actions to senior leadership.

Required profile

• Technical degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Microbiology or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in agricultural or fresh‑produce environments, preferably with knowledge of GAP and GMP.
• Familiarity with HACCP, GlobalG.A.P., SQF or similar certification programs.
• Strong analytical, documentation and problem‑solving abilities, including root‑cause analysis.
• Effective communication skills and ability to train diverse teams on food‑safety procedures.

Required skills

• HACCP
• GlobalG.A.P.
• SQF
• Food safety
• Food quality
• Quality assurance
• Good agricultural practices
• Good manufacturing practices
• Audit
• Root‑cause analysis