Quality Assurance Manager

Purpose
In relation to the overall objective of the function to assure the safety, compliance, legality and quality of our prod-ucts, you will plan, organize and oversee the implementation of the Global Quality Assurance Strategy, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) Strategy within a large Site.
The Quality Assurance Manager leads the QA team and manages the daily QA activity related to all site activities in the scope of the Quality Management System. The QA Manager is expected to promote quality principles, values and culture site wide, provide independent and unbiased opinions, advice and decisions and continually assess the level of compliance and effectiveness of quality assurance activities vs requirements.

Core Responsibilities

Quality System Compliance

• Lead & maintain approved status to accreditation Standards in the scope of the QMS ( e.g. ISO 9001/14000,
• Halal/Kosher, Good Manufacturing Practice).
• Monitor the compliance status vs Regional/Global QM policies, BP’s and requirements.
• Lead the implementation of quality related policy, process, best practice etc.
• Lead Management Review meetings.

QMS Documentation

• Maintain QMS documentation required to ensure the effectiveness of the system and assure product quality.
• Ensure the document lifecycle (review, approval, issue) is timely, effective and completed.
• Author, reviewer and/or approver of Local QMS documents. Reviewer of regional documents..

Processes Critical to Quality

• Ensure the effectiveness of processes critical to quality. e.g. includes Change Control, HACCP / CCP’s, validation schedules / trials, pest control, cleaning, Product Recall / Annual Test.
• Provide QMS awareness training to appropriate personnel.

Audits / Corrective & Preventative Actions

• Maintain an effective internal audit schedule that continually demonstrates the level of compliance to ap-propriate requirements. (Standards / ISO / GMP / BP’s etc.).
• Ensure sufficient internal auditors are available to achieve the above and that they are adequately trained.
• Lead external quality related audits by authorities and customers.
• Coordinate and monitor the follow up to audit actions.
• Lead internal / Vendor audits, follow up actions and drive improvement in Vendor performance.

Customer/Sales Interface

• Coordinate the review and response to client related quality enquiries, quality agreements, questionnaires,

evaluation reports etc.

Management of Non Conformance

• Ensure the effectiveness of processes managing non-conformances e.g. Customer Complaints, internal nonconformance.
• Lead Product Recall.

People Management

• Manage employees within the QA function, ensuring the required level of capability and competency is maintained and assess the effectiveness of training in all site functions
• Manage the performance, development and training of the team including succession planning and pro-moting a culture of right first time (zero defects).

Effectiveness & Efficiency of the QA function

• Drive the Plan, Do, Check, Act continuous improvement process in relation to processes that are critical to

quality inc. SAP/systems, developing KPI’s and the culture of continuous improvement e.g. RIE/Visual Per-formance Management

• Collate, monitor, analyse and report (a) Operations KPI’s eg complaints, internal non- conformance etc. and (b) KPI’s that demonstrate the effectiveness of the QMS eg adherence to audit schedule, closure of CAPA, documents reviewed on time etc.
• Lead cross functional improvement initiatives and meetings in relation to Quality KPI’s performance im-provement and the effectiveness of the QMS. Participate in VPM/SOED meetings in other functions

Communication

• Communicates the performance of the QMS, including significant events (e.g. Product Recall, Contamina-tions etc.) and site Quality KPI performance to Regional Quality Assurance Head / Senior Management.
• Coordinates & communicates global Quality KPI' to Regional/ Global Quality Heads and other stakeholders.

Academic Background

• Bachelor degree in Food Science, Engineering, Quality Management, Continuous Improvement or related discipline.
• Quality Management Specific Qualification preferred.

Professional Experience

• Work experience of 7 years in Quality Assurance.
• 4 years of progressive people management required.

Technical Skills

• Proficient in reading, writing and comprehending English language
• Experience of using computer based Management Systems and applications such as Microsoft Office.
• Expert level of understanding of the principles of Quality Management Systems e.g. ISO 9001, Good Manufacturing Practices and continuous improvement.
• Good knowledge of all business processes on site in multiple functions / sub –businesses.
• Is able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of both internal and external quality requirements and the current
• status of compliance on Site
• Proven ability to lead complex cross functional / regional alignment projects and improvements,
• Able to form effective relationships / virtual teams with the regional QA function.
• Broad based knowledge of product technologies and applications our products are applied to.
• Broad based knowledge of quality principles applicable to Givaudan