Dr. Özen Sökmen
Food Engineer
NİLÜFER
Websites
Summary
I hold a PhD in Food Engineering, specializing in functional bread production, microbiology, and lactic acid bacteria. Currently, I serve as the Senior Quality Assurance Engineer and Food Safety Team Leader at Golf Dondurma. In this role, I ensure compliance with rigorous quality management systems, including BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, and HACCP. My primary objective is to maintain the highest standards of product safety while fostering and enhancing a robust food safety culture within the organization.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
13
13
years of post-secondary education
7
7
Certificates
Work History
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer
Golf Dondurma
11.2022 - Current
- Establish, implement, and maintain food safety systems
- Manage HACCP, food defense, and quality management system (BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000) programs
- Ensure food safety requirements are met throughout all production processes
- Lead in areas such as personnel hygiene, foreign material control, and integrated pest management
- Participate in and report on internal and external audits
- Track consumer complaints and take appropriate action
- Conduct food safety training and awareness programs
- Comply with quality standards and regulatory requirements
- Goal: To ensure that every product produced by Golf Dondurma meets the highest food safety standards and to gain and maintain consumer trust.
Quality Assurance Engineer
Golf Dondurma
11.2022 - 02.2024
Quality Assurance Manager
Bağcı Gıda Sanayi
10.2019 - 11.2022
- Ensure quality control of raw materials and finished products
- Prepare reports on each test performed for measuring quality, quantity, and composition
- Compute formulas, percentages, or production-specific factors
- Assist in setting quality standards (BRC, FSSC 22000, IFS, and HACCP) and ensure that production is maintained at such standards
- Sample and identify, if any, bacterial or non-desirable excess material
- Prepare graphs, charts, and reports from test results
- Maintain the long-term continuity of production and service quality
- Complete tests required for food product packaging
- Keep records of all tests that have been carried out
- Perform quality control analysis including tests and inspections of products and processes
- Maintain the corporate quality manual and quality records
- Review and report the principal causes of quality loss and nonconformance
- Ensure all check sheets are correctly completed and all noncompliance found have had the correct action taken and signed off
- Arrange, coordinate, and participate in external quality audits.
Environmental Health Safety Specialist
OSGB
05.2016 - 10.2019
- Risk assessment and reporting
- Providing occupational safety trainings to employees
- Making workplace emergency and action plans
- Establishing and monitoring first aid, fire, search and rescue, and evacuation teams
- Daily field inspections and reporting
- Investigating the causes of work-related accidents in the workplace and preparing the reports and giving trainings by conducting studies on the precautions to be taken in order not to be repeated
- Annual work, preparation of training plans
- Preparation of annual evaluation report
- Textile, construction, metal, press, chemical, etc
- Conducting field surveillance and reporting in very dangerous and hazardous sectors.
Food Engineer, Intern
Turasan Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık
Food Engineering Intern
Şölen
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD - Food Engineer
Uludağ University
01.2018 - 05.2023
Master's degree - Food Engineer
Bursa Technical University
01.2016 - 04.2018
Master's degree - Environment, health and safety
İstanbul Gelisim University
01.2017 - 04.2017
Lisans Derecesi - Food Enginering
Warsaw University for Life Sciences
01.2013 - 04.2013
Faculty of Agriculture - Food Engineering
Mustafa KemalNiversitesi
01.2009 - 04.2013
Skills
BRC
Certification
ISO 9001 Quality Management
Timeline
Internal Audit Training
03-2024
BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9: Lead Auditor
03-2024
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer
Golf Dondurma
11.2022 - Current
Quality Assurance Engineer
Golf Dondurma
11.2022 - 02.2024
ISO 9001 Quality Management
01-2022
ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management System
01-2022
HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
01-2020
Quality Assurance Manager
Bağcı Gıda Sanayi
10.2019 - 11.2022
IFS
01-2019
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD - Food Engineer
Uludağ University
01.2018 - 05.2023
Master's degree - Environment, health and safety
İstanbul Gelisim University
01.2017 - 04.2017
Environmental Health Safety Specialist
OSGB
05.2016 - 10.2019
Occupational health and safety specialist
03-2016
Master's degree - Food Engineer
Bursa Technical University
01.2016 - 04.2018
Lisans Derecesi - Food Enginering
Warsaw University for Life Sciences
01.2013 - 04.2013
Faculty of Agriculture - Food Engineering
Mustafa KemalNiversitesi
01.2009 - 04.2013
Food Engineer, Intern
Turasan Bağcılık ve Şarapçılık
Food Engineering Intern
Şölen