Samuel Kuzma
Mt. Juliet
Summary
Business Unit Leader and Manager Seeking position in food manufacturing for Management, Product Development, Quality, or other related areas. Motivated and career-driven individual seeking fulfilling and impactful leadership position. Detail-oriented, observant, communicative, and easy to work with.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Line Support Specialist
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco
10.2022 - Current
- Responsible for managing Processing staff and coordinating daily schedules based demands
- Troubleshoot mechanical, controls, and IT issues related to the department and delegate appropriate staff to resolve issues
- Improve Processing efficiency by utilizing Integrated Work Systems to determine top stops and reduce or eliminate
- Manage Contamination Control Strategy to ensure the department is complying with cGMP standards
- Manage work instruction implementation and review for employees to improve safety, quality, efficiency, and stay within standard operating procedures
- Drive to root cause with any deviation from Processing Requirements and develop corrective actions to prevent further deviations
- Responsible for ensuring all system transactions in Processing are accurate and correct through SAP and resolving any discrepancies
- Help complete and follow through Corrective Action Preventative Action (CAPAs) & Trackwise for Processing department
- Assist leading audits including safety, Contamination Control and Sanitation (CC&S) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Manage product loss through data analysis via loss trees and Weibull analysis
- Institute new product launches in the Processing department and plan schedules for sales trends
- Ensure Department stays within GMP and HACCP standards
Quality Technician
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco
12.2019 - 10.2022
- Perform Moisture Analysis and pH analysis of all cure types to ensure they are within specification
- Execute particle size analysis on cures to ensure correct blends and particle ratios go into cures
- Ensure quality specifications are met for production as well as in lab setting
- Perform audits for CC&S to ensure manufacturing standards are met for production
Microbiologist Associate in Bacterial Fermentation
Eurofins Laboratories
03.2019 - 12.2019
- Monitor bacterial fermentation in tobacco products
- Evaluate contamination of fermented tobacco and ID microorganism contaminants
- Perform cure analyses and troubleshoot abnormalities in fermentation or growth conditions
- Run assays to ID microorganisms in production
Graduate Assistant Teacher, Intro to Microbiology Lab
East Tennessee State University
08.2018 - 03.2019
- Educate students on proper lab techniques for Gram Staining, Streaking for Isolation, and Microscopy
- Conduct lectures on microbiology topics and concepts of Bacterial Metabolism, Genetics, and Pathogenesis
- Analyze and grade student performance with various above lab techniques and provide feedback
Research Assistant in Pathogenic Microbiology Lab
East Tennessee State University
01.2018 - 03.2019
- Discover new regulators of Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s virulence
- Apply understanding of Molecular Genomics in gene regulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Perform various genomic laboratory techniques such as Transposon Mutagenesis, PCS, Arbitrary PCR, Plasmid Isolation, Gene Knockouts, Gel Electrophoresis, Western Blotting, and Cell Culture Maintenance
- Analyze genomic sequence and ability to assess alterations in genomic DNA
- Make appropriate stocks of media, antibiotics, buffers, and other chemicals for laboratory procedures
Research Assistant and Lab Technician
BCN Research Laboratories
02.2017 - 11.2017
- Microbial testing and mycological testing on food products for both major and minor manufacturing companies across Tennessee
- Culture and molecular identification
- Utilization of research techniques including PCR and QPCR
- Application of OSHA and FDA regulations on Laboratory Safety and Laboratory Practices
- Demonstrate competency in morphology of bacterium and other microorganisms
Education
Masters - Microbiology
University of Florida
05.2022
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN12.2016
Associate of Science -
Pellissippi State Community College
Knoxville, TN05.2014
Skills
- MSF Database System
- JDA (Blue Yonder)
- Support services
- SAP records management system
- Recordkeeping skills
- Technical assistance
- Technical troubleshooting
- Incident management
- Training and coaching
Personal Information
Title: Business Unit Leader and Manager
Timeline
Line Support Specialist
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco
10.2022 - Current
Quality Technician
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco
12.2019 - 10.2022
Microbiologist Associate in Bacterial Fermentation
Eurofins Laboratories
03.2019 - 12.2019
Graduate Assistant Teacher, Intro to Microbiology Lab
East Tennessee State University
08.2018 - 03.2019
Research Assistant in Pathogenic Microbiology Lab
East Tennessee State University
01.2018 - 03.2019
Research Assistant and Lab Technician
BCN Research Laboratories
02.2017 - 11.2017
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Tennessee
Associate of Science -
Pellissippi State Community College
Masters - Microbiology
University of Florida
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