Quality Assurance Specialist

Forward Hospitality; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Hospitality in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Quality Assurance Specialist to maintain and improve quality, food safety, hygiene, and production standards across restaurant and central kitchen operations.

You will partner with Operations, Kitchen, Procurement, Training, and Management to ensure compliance with UAE requirements and company standards, driving continuous improvement in processes and guest experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Hospitality, Quality Management, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of QA/QC experience within F&B, hospitality, central kitchens, catering, or food production.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, HACCP, and quality management systems.
• UAE F&B experience preferred.
• Knowledge of UAE food safety and municipal requirements an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and monitor quality standards across food production and restaurant operations.
• Conduct regular quality inspections and audits across outlets, kitchens, storage, and production areas.
• Ensure consistency in taste, presentation, portion size, recipes, specifications, and product quality.
• Monitor compliance with approved recipes, product specifications, preparation methods, and SOPs.
• Identify quality gaps and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Support new product launches, menu changes, trials, and product development from a quality perspective.
• Monitor food safety and hygiene practices across all operations.
• Conduct regular hygiene inspections and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Monitor temperature controls, food storage, labelling, expiry dates, FIFO/FEFO, cleaning, and sanitation practices.
• Support HACCP and food safety system implementation and compliance.
• Ensure teams understand and follow food safety procedures.
• Escalate any significant food safety or quality risks immediately to management.
• Conduct scheduled and surprise quality and hygiene audits.
• Maintain audit records, inspection reports, and corrective action plans.
• Follow up with department heads to ensure identified issues are closed within agreed timelines.
• Support internal and external inspections and audits.
• Ensure operational practices comply with company policies and applicable UAE food safety requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, consistency, and operational controls.
• Review existing SOPs and recommend improvements where required.
• Support the development and implementation of quality checklists and control procedures.
• Analyse recurring complaints, defects, wastage, and quality issues and recommend corrective action.
• Work with Training and Operations teams to deliver quality, hygiene, and food safety training.
• Coach employees on correct standards and procedures.
• Promote a strong quality and food safety culture across the business.
• Review product and service-related complaints and identify root causes.
• Work with Operations and Kitchen teams to address recurring quality concerns.
• Monitor trends and provide recommendations to management.

Skills

Auditing

Quality management

Food safety

HACCP

SOPs

Inspections

Training

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Food Science/Technology, Hospitality, Quality Management

Job description

The Quality Assurance Specialist is responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and continuously improving quality, food safety, hygiene, production, and operational standards across the restaurant and production operations. The role will work closely with Operations, Kitchen, Procurement, Training, and Management teams to ensure consistent product quality, compliance with company standards and applicable UAE requirements, and continuous improvement in processes and guest experience.

Quality & Product Standards

• Develop, implement, and monitor quality standards across food production and restaurant operations.
• Conduct regular quality inspections and audits across outlets, kitchens, storage, and production areas.
• Ensure consistency in taste, presentation, portion size, recipes, specifications, and product quality.
• Monitor compliance with approved recipes, product specifications, preparation methods, and SOPs.
• Identify quality gaps and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Support new product launches, menu changes, trials, and product development from a quality perspective.

Food Safety & Hygiene

• Monitor food safety and hygiene practices across all operations.
• Conduct regular hygiene inspections and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Monitor temperature controls, food storage, labelling, expiry dates, FIFO/FEFO, cleaning, and sanitation practices.
• Support HACCP and food safety system implementation and compliance.
• Ensure teams understand and follow food safety procedures.
• Escalate any significant food safety or quality risks immediately to management.

Audits & Compliance

• Conduct scheduled and surprise quality and hygiene audits.
• Maintain audit records, inspection reports, and corrective action plans.
• Follow up with department heads to ensure identified issues are closed within agreed timelines.
• Support internal and external inspections and audits.
• Ensure operational practices comply with company policies and applicable UAE food safety requirements.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, consistency, and operational controls.
• Review existing SOPs and recommend improvements where required.
• Support the development and implementation of quality checklists and control procedures.
• Analyse recurring complaints, defects, wastage, and quality issues and recommend corrective action.

Training & Awareness

• Work with Training and Operations teams to deliver quality, hygiene, and food safety training.
• Coach employees on correct standards and procedures.
• Promote a strong quality and food safety culture across the business.

Guest & Customer Feedback

• Review product and service-related complaints and identify root causes.
• Work with Operations and Kitchen teams to address recurring quality concerns.
• Monitor trends and provide recommendations to management.

Minimum Qualifications and Technical Skills

• Bachelor's degree/Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Hospitality, Quality Management, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of relevant QA/QC experience within F&B, hospitality, central kitchens, catering, or food production.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, HACCP, and quality management systems.
• UAE F&B experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of UAE food safety and municipal requirements is an advantage.

Behavioural Skills

• Strong auditing, reporting, investigation, and problem-solving skills.