ISO AUDITING (Planning & Scheduling) - Food Sector Professional

Iassess Consultants; Ahmedabad District; On-site; INR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Iassess Consultants in India is seeking an Operations Specialist to manage planning and scheduling for food safety audits. You will coordinate audit dates, allocate auditors, and maintain calendars and KPIs, ensuring adherence to ISO/IEC 17021-1 and related scheme rules.

The role requires strong organizational and communication skills, with experience in planning, scheduling, and stakeholder management across food safety standards such as ISO 22000 and HACCP.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• 3-4 years of experience in operations, scheduling, or resource management, preferably in a Certification Body, food industry, or professional services organization.
• Strong planning, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Excel, CRM tools, and scheduling systems.
• Working knowledge of food safety management systems, HACCP, and GFSI schemes.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Analytical mindset with attention to accuracy and timelines.
• Ability to manage high volumes of data and maintain compliance documentation.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain the annual audit calendar across food safety certification standards (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, BRCGS, IFS, etc.).
• Coordinate with clients and auditors to finalize audit dates based on availability and schedules.
• Allocate auditors based on scheme competence, approvals, proximity, client size, and contractual obligations.
• Maintain auditor utilization data and monitor completion of allocated man-days and audit duration calculations.
• Act as the single point of contact for clients regarding audit scheduling and queries.
• Communicate pre-audit and post-audit logistics, including agendas, site access, and closure timelines.
• Escalate conflicts to the Senior Manager for resolution.
• Maintain auditor competency records and scheme approvals; track training and witness audits.
• Coordinate travel, accommodation, and reimbursements with Finance and Admin teams.
• Monitor timely submission of audit reports and maintain operational dashboards and KPIs.

Skills

Planning

Scheduling

Stakeholder management

Excel

CRM tools

Scheduling systems

HACCP knowledge

GFSI schemes knowledge

Communication

Organizational skills

Data management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Technology / Food Science / Life Sciences / Business Administration / Operations Management

Job description

About the Opportunity

This role is with ISOQAR India s Operations team in the Food Sector, focused on managing the planning and scheduling of food safety audits and assessments. The position supports the certification portfolio by ensuring compliance with international standards and client requirements in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Role Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain the annual audit calendar across food safety certification standards (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, BRCGS, IFS, etc.), including surveillance, recertification, and unannounced audit windows.
• Coordinate with clients and auditors to finalize audit dates based on availability, production schedules, seasonal operations, and competency requirements.
• Allocate auditors in line with scheme competence, food chain category/sector approvals, proximity, client size, and contractual obligations.
• Maintain auditor utilization data and monitor completion of allocated man-days, including audit duration calculations as per scheme requirements.
• Ensure balanced workload and efficient use of auditor resources.
• Track and update the status of planned, ongoing, and completed audits in the system (CRM/ERP).
• Act as the single point of contact for clients regarding audit scheduling, rescheduling, and related operational queries.
• Communicate pre-audit and post-audit logistics, such as agenda, audit plans, site and plant access requirements, and report and non-conformity closure timelines.
• Ensure timely confirmation of audit dates and dispatch of joining instructions to auditors and clients, while maintaining confidentiality of unannounced audit dates.
• Escalate client or auditor-related conflicts to the Senior Manager for resolution.
• Maintain updated auditor competency records, food chain category approvals, and availability calendars.
• Support the qualification and re-qualification tracking of food safety auditors, including scheme‑specific training and witness audit requirements.
• Coordinate travel bookings, accommodation, and reimbursements in coordination with the Finance and Admin teams.
• Monitor timely submission of audit reports and related documentation from auditors.
• Maintain operational dashboards, tracking audit plan adherence, certificate due dates, delays, and cancellations.
• Generate periodic MIS reports on auditor utilization, audit status, and operational KPIs.
• Ensure timely and accurate data entry into the audit planning and certification management system.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying process gaps and recommending automation or workflow enhancements.
• Ensure adherence to ISO/IEC 17021-1, ISO/TS 22003, GFSI‑benchmarked scheme rules (FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS), UKAS/NABCB accreditation requirements, FSSAI requirements as applicable, and internal process SOPs.
• Support in internal audits, witness audits, and audit record maintenance.
• Ensure confidentiality and data integrity across all operational documentation.

Skills Qualifications

Must-Have

• Bachelor s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Life Sciences, Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field.
• 3-4 years of experience in operations, scheduling, or resource management, preferably in a Certification Body, food industry, or professional services organization.
• Strong experience in planning, coordination, and stakeholder management.
• Proficiency in Excel, CRM tools, and scheduling systems.
• Working knowledge of food safety management systems, HACCP, and GFSI schemes.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking skills.
• Strong communication and coordination abilities.
• Analytical mindset with attention to accuracy and timelines.
• Ability to manage high volumes of data and maintain compliance documentation.
• Understanding of food industry operations and seasonality.
• Customer service orientation with proactive problem‑solving skills.
• Integrity, reliability, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Preferred

• Post-graduate degree/diploma preferred but not mandatory.
• Exposure to food safety certification (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP) or audit lifecycle management preferred.

Benefits Culture Highlights

Not specified in the job description.