OfferDrill.

Jobs › University of Wisconsin-Madison

This position has closed. University of Wisconsin-Madison removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 6, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Food Safety Specialist

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 4, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you found a mistake in someone else's food safety records. What did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will confront errors directly and fix them, which the posting names as a core part of this job.

How do you train staff on a food safety protocol so it actually sticks with people who rotate in and out each semester?

What they are checking: Whether they can teach in a university plant with high turnover, where training has to be simple and repeated.

Tell me about a time you had to tell a supervisor or production lead that something they wanted to do was not allowed.

What they are checking: Whether they can deliver an unwelcome compliance answer upward while keeping the working relationship intact.

What would you do

A student worker skips a sanitation step during a busy run and says it is always fine. How do you handle it in the moment and afterward?

What they are checking: Whether they can hold the line on safety with a peer or student without shaming them or letting it slide.

A test on an incoming lot comes back borderline the morning production is scheduled to start. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will delay production to protect the public even when there is pressure to keep the line running.

About the work

Babcock Dairy has to stay compliant with FSMA. Walk me through how you would check that our preventive controls are actually being followed on the floor, not just written down.

What they are checking: Whether they know the difference between a food safety plan on paper and verification that it works in daily production.

What is the difference between validating a control and verifying it, and can you give me a dairy example of each?

What they are checking: Whether they truly understand core FSMA language, since mixing these up leads to weak records and failed audits.

How would you set up analytical and sensory testing of incoming ingredients to catch fraud, like diluted or substituted product?

What they are checking: Whether they think about economically motivated adulteration as a real hazard and can design practical receiving checks.

Tell me how you would monitor and test our allergen controls when the same line runs products with and without a given allergen.

What they are checking: Whether they understand changeover cleaning, swab testing and labeling, where most dairy allergen recalls actually start.

Walk me through how you would do a hazard analysis on a production step you have never seen before.

What they are checking: Whether they have a repeatable method for spotting biological, chemical and physical hazards rather than relying on memory.

How do you organize and store food safety records electronically so an inspector could find anything in minutes?

What they are checking: Whether their recordkeeping in Microsoft and Google tools would hold up under a regulator's request on short notice.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at University of Wisconsin-Madison from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process. Job Category: Academic Staff Employment Type: Regular Job Profile: Research Specialist Job Summary: The Food Safety Specialist is responsible for ensuring that Babcock Dairy operates in full compliance with federal and state food safety regulations, enabling the legal and safe production of dairy products for human consumption. This role oversees the implementation, validation, and verification of all food safety protocols mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and internal plant requirements. Primary duties include: • Completing and maintaining all required food safety documentation. • Conducting analytical and sensory testing of incoming ingredients to detect and prevent fraud. • Monitoring and testing allergen control systems to safeguard product integrity. • Examining production processes to identify potential hazards and developing protocols to control or eliminate risks. • Editing, maintaining, and storing records electronically with proficiency in Microsoft applications and Google Docs. • Train staff on food safety protocols and provide clear documentation and reporting. • Confront and address issues directly, including identifying mistakes, correcting errors, and ensuring accountability across teams. The successful candidate must be computer literate, detail oriented, and capable of managing electronic documentation systems to support compliance and operational efficiency. Additional information: • A 12 month evaluation period may be required • A criminal background check may be required • Applicants must have or obtain a PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification upon hire. Candidates who need to obtain the certification will be required to do so within the first six months on the job. Cost of the training will be covered by the department and training may be completed while in work status. Key Job Responsibilities: • Operates, cleans, and maintains organization of research equipment and research area. Tracks inventory levels and places replenishment orders • Reviews, analyzes, and interprets data and/or documents results for presentations and/or reporting to internal and external audiences • Performs literature reviews and writes reports • Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of unit or program staff and/or student workers • Conducts research experiments according to established research protocols with moderate impact to the project(s). Collects data and monitors test results • Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of research methodology and materials • Develop and maintain all food safety documentation for the food plant Department: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Food Sciences, Babcock Dairy Plant Compensation: The minimum salary for this position is $53,500. Actual salary will depend on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Additional benefits information can be found at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf Required Qualifications: • Experience using analytical and/or sensory testing methods for quality assurance and fraud detection • Experience conducting risk assessments and implementing corrective actions to ensure compliance and product safety • Must have, or be willing to obtain within 6 months of hire, PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification Preferred Qualifications: • Experience working in dairy or other food manufacturing environments • Use of food safety management systems (FSMS) and electronic compliance platforms Education: Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Food Science, or related field preferred How to Apply: To apply for this position, please click on the "I am a current employee" button or "I am not a current employee" button under "Apply Now". You will be prompted to upload the following documents. • Resume (required) - Detail your educational and professional background • Cover letter (required) - Address each of the required and preferred qualifications as they relate to your work experience It’s important that your cover letter and resume reflect your experience for this position related to the Qualifications section. Your application materials will be used during our evaluation to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. There is only one attachment field; please upload all application materials here. All requested application materials must be submitted for your application to be considered. Please submit only the materials specified; additional materials will not be reviewed. Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position. References: Finalists will be asked to provide contact information (phone and email) for three references, one of which must be a current or former supervisor. References will not be contacted without prior notice. Contact Information: Hong Zhang, hong.zhang@wisc.edu, (608) 265-4473 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY SERVICE for further information. Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website . To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you. Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department .