Quality Assurance Manager (Manufacturing / FMCG) at iRecruiters Africa Limited

• As the Quality Assurance Manager, you will be responsible for providing quality and food safety leadership to the business through strategy setting, development, and deployment of business plans to ensure that all products adhere to the business’ specifications, aligned with statutory and regulatory requirements as well as customer expectations.
• A vital part of this role is having in-depth knowledge, experience and expertise in Quality Assurance Management, an understanding of what it takes to work in a rapidly evolving start-up environment, having the mindset of a self-starter and the ability to roll up your sleeves to get the work done if and when necessary.
• The ideal candidate for this role must be inspired and empowered with excellence in health and safety across the factory and must be experienced in providing leadership and enabling staff realize their health and safety goals.

Responsibilities:

• Manage, implement and improve the client’s Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, maintaining the Operating Quality and Food Safety Manuals, relevant procedures and work instructions.
• Develop and maintain competencies to ensure quality awareness and food safety culture in the organization.
• Manage and oversee the running of the Quality Assurance department, preparing and implementing the budget, ensuring correct functioning of the factory laboratory and facilities, and safety and training of staff.
• Work collaboratively with various stakeholders to ensure factory facilities and resources are adequate and in good conditions to ensure product quality and safety through strict adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP).
• Lead and manage the Food Safety team, ensuring establishment, update, and adequate implementation of HACCP / TACCP / VACCP for the site.
• Manage and report Quality KPIs and internal audit program, assessing the performance of the Quality System, reporting its effectiveness to the Management, and promoting corrective and preventative measures towards continuous improvement.
• Lead the sites to maintain readiness status for Quality and Food Safety certification and surveillance audits, e.g. ISO 9001, FSSC 22000.
• Responsible for product release through effective implementation of the Quality Monitoring Scheme, ensuring product proper sampling, accurate and timely feedback on internal and third-party tests for positive release of products and for analytical parameters for monitoring.
• Ensure the site’s Integrated Pest Management program is effectively implemented.
• Coordinate and lead related audits and inspections by customers, and certification and regulatory bodies.
• Support upstream quality assurance initiatives, training, and development of competencies to ensure that all suppliers (of milk and packaging materials) meet the client’s specifications in a consistent manner.
• Support downstream activities to maintain product quality through the company’s distribution channels to ensure the wholesomeness of finished products delivered to customers and consumers.
• Lead consumer and customer complaints investigations ensuring root cause analysis and effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Act as a Gatekeeper for change management processes, including product innovation and renovation.
• Lead Management reviews of Quality and Food Safety for the site.
• Identify priorities, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in health, safety and environment management systems.
• Develop implementation of plan to ensure compliance with statutory health, safety and environment requirements.
• Perform other duties as may be deemed necessary by the Head of Operations.

Requirements
Skills and Attributes:

• Exceptional attention to details
• Ability to lead, develop and motivate a team.
• Pragmatic, self-starting, and team player.
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to deliver results in a fast-paced environment, under pressure with little or no supervision.
• Good knowledge of Quality Management Systems, food safety/HACCP, food microbiology, foreign body prevention, etc.
• Proficiency in Non-Conformity Management. Able to analyze problems, detect root causes and proffer corrective and preventive actions to resolve issues.
• Generally, tech-savvy with competency in Excel, Word, Power Point as a minimum.

Education/Experience:

• Minimum of HND, Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Food Science/Technology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience in food manufacturing within a Quality Assurance role. Experience in Dairy is an advantage.