DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Ensure that products arrive and depart in accordance with quality and safety standards, conduct quality control inspections and provide QC Reports
2. Review and improve current procedures and conduct regular audits for SOP compliance
3. Monitor staff performance, providing guidance, and conducting essential training sessions
4. Investigate product quality issues, conduct root cause analyses, and raise Improvement Reports
5. Maintain a comprehensive filing system, complete daily QA checklists, and provide regular compliance reports
6. Enforce quality and cleaning standards, promptly addressing any deviations
7. Guide production teams, recommend improvements, and oversee the implementation of procedures
8. Conduct daily FIFO spot checks and assess safety risks, communicating findings to relevant departments
9. Identify training needs, foster a food safety culture, and train new employees
10. Perform sporadic production checks and follow through on HSE minutes, findings, and improvements
11. Track waste control, conduct cleaning inspections, and ensure strict adherence to product testing procedures
12. Communicate with the NPD department on a weekly basis to check on any new products being trialled and tested
13. Conduct sensory evaluations and taste profiling on all new and existing products including but not limited to basting sauces, table sauces, blended spices, mayonnaise various variants, cool drinks and fruit juices
14. Ensure batch consistency from original kitchen sample supplied by NPD through to batches supplied to all DCs nationally
15. Evaluate product consistency taking most common flavours into account such as – sweet, bitter, sour, salty, meaty(umami), cool and hot
16. Obtain updated kitchen sample from suppliers once the current retention sample reaches shelf life, conduct new evaluations on new samples provided vs batches delivered to DCs
17. Ensure availability of all product specification sheets
18. Analytical Thinking - Ability to analyse data for insightful decision-making in quality control processes
19. Attention to Detail - Meticulously focusing on specifics for thorough audits, documentation, and compliance
20. Effective Communication - Effectively conveying information to ensure seamless collaboration with teams and stakeholders
21. Quality Focus - Demonstrated commitment to maintaining high-quality standards in all processes
22. Leadership - Capable of leading and guiding production teams, providing support and recommendations
23. Problem-Solving - Taking proactive steps to identify risks, suggesting improvements, and solving quality-related issues
24. Understanding of SOP Implementation
25. Quality Control and Assurance
26. Health and Safety Regulations
27. Data Analysis and Reporting
28. Must have worked in kitchen environments to learn about cooking techniques and ingredients
29. Kept up with food trends, innovations, and advancements in sensory science
30. Knowledge of food ingredients and applications
31. Must have knowledge of recipe formulations and ingredient combinations
32. FSA Implementation and compliance
33. DC External Audit Results
34. Creation of training courses to address deficiencies in personnel or procedures
35. Perform as DC Contact for customer issues
36. Compile monthly quality reports
37. Occasional travel to DC's nationally

REQUIREMENTS: 

1. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the relevant field
2. Certified Food Safety Manager certificate /diploma - Speciality - Flavor sensory evaluations & Taste Profiling
3. Minimum 3 years proven experience as a QA Officer with Sensory evaluations and Taste Profiling experience
4. Understanding of further processing - Advantageous
5. Knowledge and understanding of poultry processing required
6. HACCP Certified and strong regulatory skills
7. Understanding of management principles and team concepts
8. Risk Assessment and process change control
9. Attention to detail set priorities and follows through
10. Understand Microbiology and food technology