Head, Quality & Safety at Frutta Foods and Services Nigeria Limited

Job Summary

• We are looking for a hands-on strategist with solid knowledge and experience in both local and international quality standards and practices who will provide strong leadership to the quality control and quality assurance team.
• The ideal talent will provide leadership to the Department in: - Quality Control and Assurance as well as Compliance and ensure customer satisfaction through improved product quality standards.

Job Description

Leadership and Management:

• Providing leadership in the implementation of Frutta Quality and Food safety management program.
• Collaborating with departmental heads to facilitate the implementation and sustainability of Quality management system, Frutta Quality Assurance System audit requirements and Occupational Safety best practices and regulations.
• Evaluating operational policies, procedures, processes and systems to identify opportunities for improvement and facilitate continual improvement.

Planning and Control:

• Creating, developing and implementing a proper plan with schedules for all quality assurance and food safety related departmental activities.
• Preparing the quality assurance budget and schedule expenditures.

Quality Assurance, Compliance and Control:

• Ensuring planned systematic activities are implemented so that food quality and safety requirements for the product and entire process chain (suppliers, raw material handling and storage, water treatment, processing, CIP, bottle washing, handling, inspection and blending, filling, cap/crowning, analytical, microbiology, warehousing, transportation and trade management) are fulfilled.
• Providing guidance in trouble shooting and root cause analysis to solve and prevent problems on a continuous basis in the entire process chain.
• Driving the execution and compliance to all quality programs such as adherence to specifications and standards, GMP's, HACCP, GHP. Food safety, food defense, quality programs and process.
• Devising testing methods and procedures.
• Maintaining product quality by enforcing quality assurance policies and procedures and government requirements
• Deliver quality laboratory services to the factory (Production and Processing).
• Ensure that the right analysis (method and sampling plans) are performed on the product, raw materials and packaging materials to guarantee product and process safety and conformity.
• Ensure the food safety & conformity of all products delivered to the market.
• Define the sampling plans of all raw materials, intermediate and finished products.
• Provide methodology, procedures & results to validate the plant processes.
• Ensure that all results of analyses are properly captured, documented and reported, in the appropriate formats and within required timings.
• Set up and maintain control points in line with HACCP standards.
• Monitor quality performance by gathering relevant data and producing statistical reports.
• Contribute to the creation and documentation of inspection criteria and procedures.
• Implement inspection criteria and procedures.

New Product Development:

• Participating in new product development and ensuring compliance to all relevant requirements and standards.

Regulatory Compliance and Certification:

• Initiating and providing guidance and ensuring compliance to the certifications by relevant regulatory bodies.
• Keeping abreast all applicable standards and communicating/applying/enforcing compliance and maintenance.

Health, Safety and Environment:

• Putting in place measures to protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes and/or materials.
• Carrying out investigations on causes of accidents and ways of preventing them in future.
• Review and ensure compliance with the Company HSE policy.
• Monitor and improve the performance of the company’s HSE culture.

Supplier Development and Management:

• Providing and ensuring the suppliers meet the latest quality standards as per Frutta, and any other regulatory body requirements.
• Timely following up of any quality discrepancies and feedback.
• Leading the approval of specifications, artworks, samples where and as applicable.
• Providing technical advice to suppliers in form of troubleshooting, systems development to aid certification of third-party audits.
• Coordinating all certification and quality issues between Fruttaand the suppliers e.g., supplier audits, sample submission to approved third party labs.

Reporting and Accountability:

• Provide reports on Frutta quality and safety based on identified gaps, market complaints, improvements and compliance dashboard.

System Audits:

• Overseeing internal quality assurance audits and follow up on actions.
• Interfacing with external auditors or auditing bodies and providing the necessary information.
• Ensuring that all findings from both internal and external audits are addressed in a timely manner.
• Liaising with regulatory bodies with regard to quality and compliance.

Human Resource Management:

• Identifying staffing needs and ensure adequate staffing in the department.
• Identifying training needs, mentoring and coaching staff to close identified gaps.

Qualifications
Experiences (What experience brings success to this role):

• Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Industrial Chemistry, Food Science and Technology or any other related field.
• Master’s Degree in Food Science and Technology/ Science Technology (Biological, Chemistry)/ Industrial Chemistry or related field shall be an added advantage
• Minimum of 7 years relevant experience in a Food & Beverage processing industry with at least 5 years at managerial level.
• Experience in Quality Control / Quality Assurance.
• Relevant certification in quality standards and Food Quality and Safety Audit is an advantage.

Knowledge (What does the person need to know):

• In-depth knowledge of Food Safety Standards and requirements
• Working knowledge of HSE processes
• Food and Beverages Production and Processing
• Food quality and safety audit

Technical / Behavioural Competence:

• Product and Industry knowledge
• Juice Processing
• Analytical Skills
• Business Transformation and Change Advocate
• Leadership Skills
• Exceptional Presentation & Communication Skills
• Personable
• Excellent interpersonal skills, good motivational skills
• Coach, lead, motivates and inspires subordinates to achieve results.