Quality Assurance Manager - Barry Callebaut Group

The Quality Assurance Manager will be responsible for leading, guiding, planning, organizing, developing and controlling all activities of the Quality Assurance function on the site within the business unit’s strategies and guidelines in order to realize short, medium and long term operational goals, whilst complying with customer requirements, rules, laws, and regulations. Responsible for quality, food safety, hygiene, and HACCP of the operations whiles ensuring that quality and food safety resources are used effectively and the quality & food safety program (including surveillance, sampling, and monitoring activities) is prioritized.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute with relevant information and proposals from a functional and local perspective to the regional QA strategy.
• Translate regional QA strategy into local strategy and plans, and drive implementation in area of responsibility.
• Actively participate in setting the local business strategy.
• Contribute to the development and implement Quality Assurance & Food Safety Management Systems QA&FSMS (guidelines, procedures and SOPs) taking corporate Quality Assurance & Food Safety and environmental guidelines together with national legal requirements into consideration.
• Manage timely and cost-effective delivery of high QA&FSMS reporting and professional services in the area of responsibility.
• Ensure compliance of QA&FSMS audits (E.g. ISO certification) and act as a point of contact for customer audits and perform supplier audits.
• Ensure the professional day-to-day delivery of Quality & Food Safety services to internal/external customers; personally intervene in some more difficult quality issues.
• Coordinate QA&FSMS activities with the rest of the organization particularly with operations and sales departments.
• Ensure full compliance with internal and external rules, regulations and statutory requirements for the financial and business exposure and represent the company externally.

• Advise, Coach & Train the organization and external customers about all relevant quality issues in the area of responsibility.
• Manage the team ensuring staff are motivated, trained and ready to achieve objectives, in a positive social climate.
• Manage human resources planning to achieve short and medium term business results.
• Abide by statutory rules and regulations.
• Improve the overall efficiency of the department.
• Ensure the full implementation of necessary changes in the QA&FSMS regarding procedures, standards, tools and system throughout a change management standard. This includes the documentation and approval of procedures and work instructions, process forms etc. as appropriate.
• Interprets conditions of service to and handles welfare problems of immediate subordinates in consultation with the Human Resources Department.
• Manage all project related to QA&FSMS.
• Lead the QA&FSMS Corrective Action Preventive Actions (CAPA) related to several audits & visits.
• Support R&D department during new recipe implementation or recipe transfer.
• Ensure quality and production team development in order to guarantee quality and food safety products compliant to customer needs.
• Contribute to reduce rework product volume by supporting production team.
• Reduce customer complaints.
• Effective management of quality department budget.
• Optimize FTE and temporary personnel for the Quality department.
• Administer disciplinary action to immediate subordinates in consultation with the Human Resources Department.
• Identifies the training needs of immediate subordinates and organizes or recommends training for them.
• Appraises the performance of subordinates.
• Performs any other duties that may be assigned by superiors.

About You

• Master of Science or Engineer in Quality Management or food technology and processing / Food sciences / Biochemistry / Chemistry / Microbiology
• A minimum of 5 years post–qualification hands-on relevant working experience in Quality & Food Safety Management System in food industry or in food safety operations leading, 2 years of which must have been in a senior management position
• Able to undertake audits and inspections, assess compliance of the plant or otherwise in relation to food safety and ensure compliance or prevent non-compliance.
• Ability to manage a diverse team and motivate subordinate staff as well as lead a HACCP team.
• Proven organizational skills, including time management and ability to work under pressure.
• Strong knowledge of the food processing industry, Food Safety Defense and HACCP, Project Management and Change Management.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications – Word, PowerPoint and Excel to a competent standard.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal, and written to include report writing and presentations.
• Knowledgeable in SAP and Maximo applications.
• Maintains contacts with the group logistics, suppliers and relevant service providers, institutions and authorities.