Food Tech / Quality Control Manager Full Time Job

Food Tech / Quality Control Manager – Paarl.

This position offers a wonderful opportunity to join a dynamic team. To assist in expanding our food product offering, the ideal candidate is solution oriented with experience in the manufacturing and development of fresh and long-life foods, supplier management, food safety, and food quality management systems. Considering the continuous growth of our retail footprint, experience in retail food technology and strategic product management will be advantageous.

The ideal candidate must possess leadership qualities to be able to work in a cross-functional team and take ownership of the role’s outline and responsibilities. This position will require an individual with operational, strategic and people-management expertise, who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can easily adapt to changing market and organisational requirements.

You must be passionate about your work to the point where it inspires others. An innovative mindset and an ability to adjust to change will deliver successful job outputs and resulting job satisfaction.

Technical requirements:

• BSc Food Science or BTech Food Technology degree with 10 – 15 years’ industry experience.

Relevant retail experience is required:

• Understanding of high- and low-risk food processing and the correct management of cross flow.
• Understanding of cold chain management and critical control factors for maintaining food products in their optimum state.
• Practical experience in and understanding of different food preparation stages and processes.
• Knowledge of technical processes and principles, i.e. HACCP, GMP, root cause analysis, supply chain, raw materials, allergen management, and micro and listeria management.
• Proven, relevant industry experience and knowledge across a wide range of food products.
• Technical product knowledge, i.e. product characteristics, raw material sourcing, manufacturing processes, and quality and safety parameters.
• Knowledge of packaging functionality and application.
• Understanding of environmental management and sustainability.

Desired competencies and skills:

• A project management approach to the delivery of key projects.
• Ability to identify problems and implement effective solutions in collaboration with your supplier base.
• Well versed in relevant legislation and the ability to play an influencing role.
• Team-player attitude with the ability to work effectively within a diverse team.
• Confident and able to steer decisions and principles to protect brand values.
• A mindset that promotes excellence, high standards, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and stressful environment.
• Well-developed sensory skills, with diverse food experience and exposure.
• Sound business acumen and judgment, with a problem-solving approach.
• Exceptional project management, strategic development, and planning skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, including networking, influencing, communication and conflict resolution.
• Pro-active, innovative and entrepreneurial approach.
• Flexible, with an ability and willingness to travel.
• Fluent in Afrikaans of English, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills in all facets of use as a technical tool.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintaining brand integrity and product safety whilst performing risk mitigation.
• Contributing towards the category strategy, ensuring innovative and safe products of consistent quality.
• Developing high-quality products using cutting-edge technical innovation that adheres to the company’s brand values of quality, freshness, innovation, inspiration, food safety and value.
• Managing and monitoring the technical team in order to meet the company’s technical strategy, product plan, and ultimately the category strategy.
• Technical communication and liaison with the buying team, suppliers, quality team and production teams.
• Positively influencing all contributing aspects of the supply chain to optimise quality and food safety.
• Leading factory and product process audits within the production facility and supply base.
• Formulating and/or managing product specifications, ensuring accuracy.
• Ensuring effective product accept/reject criteria.
• Identifying and managing critical control points (CCPs) within production facilities and ensuring that suppliers identify and manage their CCPs correctly.
• Overseeing end-to-end quality management systems within farm production facilities and among external suppliers.
• Providing technical input into category, quality management and supplier strategies and ensuring effective implementation.
• Overseeing packaging development, ensuring conformance to legislation.
• Ensuring accurate nutritional information and date marking/coding.
• Overseeing effective allergen management within all production facilities and among suppliers.
• Supplier approval/sourcing, based on basic hygiene compliance and risk management.
• Shelf-life assessment and implementation.
• Managing microbiological testing, specifying type of tests, frequency, and accept/reject criteria for both product and environment.
• Improving and ensuring production efficiencies within production facilities and the supply base.
• Raw material sourcing and approval: ensuring that production and suppliers source from approved raw material suppliers, and that specifications and allergen management practices are in place.
• Troubleshoot customer complaints and perform route cause analyses.
• Uphold international standards for food manufacturing and processing, using cutting-edge equipment, processing technology knowledge, and experience.