Quality Assurance Manager

Divine Fresh Pty Ltd; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Divine Fresh Pty Ltd, an Australian-owned horticulture and fresh produce business, seeks an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to oversee QA systems and food safety across its operations in South Australia. You will lead audits, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive continuous improvement to meet customer specifications.

Responsibilities include managing QA procedures, coordinating with production and distribution teams, and reporting quality performance to senior management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level qualification in quality management, horticulture, agriculture, food science or related discipline.
• Minimum three years’ experience in quality assurance or quality management, preferably in fresh produce or food distribution.
• Experience managing quality systems, audits, traceability, food safety compliance and corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Manage and continuously improve QA systems, food safety arrangements, and quality procedures.
• Lead external audits and guide certification/ accreditation efforts.
• Plan and conduct weekly GMP checks and internal quality audits.
• Oversee hygiene, sanitation and regulatory compliance across handling, packing and storage.
• Maintain traceability, batch, packed-product, waste and temperature records.

Skills

Quality assurance

Audits

Food safety

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in quality management or related field

Tools

QA management systems

Job description

Divine Fresh is an Australian-owned horticulture and fresh produce business supplying customers across South Australia and interstate. Divine Fresh is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to oversee quality management systems, fresh produce quality standards and food safety compliance across its produce handling, grading, packing, storage and distribution operations.

The successful candidate will manage quality assurance procedures, oversee compliance activities, lead audits and drive continuous improvement to ensure fresh produce meets customer specifications, applicable regulatory requirements and the company's quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manage and continuously improve Divine Fresh’s quality assurance systems, food safety arrangements and quality procedures, with authority over quality standards and procedures across the operation.
2. Lead the business through external customer (supermarket) and regulatory audits, and guide it through certification and accreditation requirements.
3. Identify the formal standards, customer requirements and regulatory codes that apply to the business, and keep systems aligned with them.
4. Plan and conduct weekly GMP checks and internal quality audits, and ensure findings are acted on and closed out.
5. Oversee fresh produce quality, grading, packing, labelling and storage to meet customer specifications and applicable standards.
6. Maintain and oversee traceability, batch, packed-product, waste, temperature and stock quality records, manually and electronically.
7. Oversee hygiene, sanitation and food safety across handling, packing, storage and distribution, including compliance with legal retail weight requirements.
8. Monitor and control product quality using inspections, retention and shelf-life checks, and quality tools and trend analysis.
9. Manage non-conforming produce, customer complaints and quality incidents, including root-cause investigation, corrective and preventive actions, and recall support.
10. . Assist in identifying quality and food safety risks and opportunities, and in establishing and managing contractual and regulatory compliance systems.
11. . Develop and maintain documented processes and operating procedures.
12. Plan and deliver training for staff on QA specifications, food safety, GMP and HACCP.
13. Report to senior management on quality performance, audit outcomes and the effectiveness and suitability of the management system, and lead or contribute to weekly operations meetings.
14. Work with production, packing, procurement, warehouse and distribution teams, and liaise with growers, suppliers and customers on specifications, quality concerns and corrective actions.

Selection Criteria

• Relevant Bachelor qualifications in quality management, horticulture, agriculture, botany, plant science, food science, food technology or a related discipline.
• Minimum three years’ experience in quality assurance or quality management, preferably within fresh produce, food processing, packing or distribution.
• Experience managing quality systems, audits, traceability, food safety compliance and corrective actions.
• Strong leadership, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to coordinate quality requirements across operational teams and maintain accurate compliance documentation.