Specification Management Officer (Temporary)

Jan Zandbergen Group; Veenendaal; On-site; EUR 39,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lunch provided daily

25 days annual leave

8% holiday pay

Gym access at Food Innovation Centre

Department & company outings

Discount on meat and meat substitutes

Job summary

Jan Zandbergen Group is seeking an assertive Specification Management Officer to lead quality specifications and compliance across our meat and related products. You will own customer and product specs, manage supplier approvals, and ensure packaging meets regulatory requirements.

You will work within our international quality team to balance food safety with productivity, voicing well-reasoned opinions and driving continuous improvement across Diviande and Future Food Group.

Qualifications

• Experience with quality systems (BRC, FSSC, SKAL, BLK) and knowledge of food safety regulations.
• Experience in QA within the food industry, incl. supplier management.
• Ability to communicate proactively and handle customer and internal inquiries.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer and product specifications; develop and verify specifications in Oculus.
• Oversee supplier approval, assessment, and related procedures in quality manuals.
• Provide information for packaging design and labels to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Maintain raw material and product specifications in a database; manage supplier data and certificates.
• Serve as first point of contact for QA inquiries from colleagues and customers.

Skills

Quality management

Food safety

Regulatory compliance

Dutch & English proficiency

Communication

Meat industry knowledge

Education

MBO+/HBO level in Food Technology or related

Tools

Oculus

Job description

At Jan Zandbergen Group, we are looking for an assertive specification management officer. Do you have a passion for food and do you see it as a challenge to be the main point of contact for quality issues, food safety, legislation and regulations and, of course, specification management? Then read on!

ABOUT JAN ZANDBERGEN GROUP

The Jan Zandbergen Group, comprising Jan Zandbergen, Diviande and Future Food Group, is a supplier and manufacturer of ingredients, semi‑finished products, finished products and concepts in the meat, poultry and meat substitute sectors. With around 300 employees, we operate from our head office in Veenendaal. Our slogan is “Innovation That Matters”, and there’s a good reason for that. Our roots lie in meat, but we look far beyond that. Our aim is to provide our customers, not only today but also in the future, with products that are not only tasty but also sustainable – products that are good for people, animals and the environment.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a specification management officer, you will become part of our diverse, informal 14‑strong quality team. Within this team, there is close collaboration between the various quality disciplines and sites within the Jan Zandbergen Group, with everyone taking ownership of their own responsibilities. Communication is a key priority for effective collaboration.

We expect you to contribute ideas and to feel comfortable voicing your (well‑reasoned) opinions.

Specification management will become ‘your’ discipline. This means you will hold a broad, all‑round role offering a great deal of freedom and dynamism. You will constantly maintain a balance between food safety, productivity and workability. Thanks to your proactive, positive personality, you adapt easily to constantly changing circumstances and think two steps ahead. In this role, you will work for the Jan Zandbergen Group, which also includes Diviande and the Future Food Group.

A selection of your duties:

• You are responsible for both customer and product specifications. You develop and verify customer specifications in Oculus. Upon request, you provide information, either verbally and/or in writing, to management and/or (internal and external) stakeholders; this includes, for example, customer questionnaires;

• You will be responsible for supplier approval and assessment, as well as the associated procedures and work instructions in the Jan Zandbergen Group’s quality manuals;

• In addition, you will be responsible for compiling and supplying the correct information for the design and printing of packaging (for retail, food service and industry); naturally, you will ensure that specifications, packaging and labels comply with (statutory) requirements and that products meet the relevant regulations;

• You will compile and maintain raw material and product specifications in a database (e.g. ingredients, nutritional values, storage conditions);

• Naturally, you will keep our supplier database up to date and maintain contact with suppliers to obtain relevant information on raw materials and ingredients (e.g. technical data, certificates of analysis, questionnaires, product and packaging specifications, certificates, process data);

• You will be the first point of contact for colleagues and customers regarding QA‑related enquiries.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

• You have an (higher) vocational education (MBO+/HBO) level of working and thinking. If you have studied Food Technology or Food & Business, that would be an advantage;

• You have (some) knowledge of quality systems (BRC, FSSC, SKAL, BLK), food safety, legislation and regulations, microbiology, possibly supplemented by knowledge of meat and meat substitutes;

• You have previously gained experience (including through an internship) in the quality department within the food industry;

• You can hold your own in a demanding environment. You manage expectations and respond and communicate proactively;

• As you will be working in an international environment, fluency in Dutch and English is essential, both spoken and written;

• You enjoy working in a team where people work hard, but where there is also room for a bit of (straightforward) humour;

WHAT DO WE OFFER YOU?

• A gross basic salary of between €3,500 and €4,500 per month (based on knowledge, skills, age and qualifications);

• 25 days’ annual leave and 8% holiday pay;

• A free lunch every day, including fruit, salad, soups and fresh rolls;

• The opportunity to work out every working day in the gym at our own Food Innovation Centre;

• Every Friday afternoon there’s a sociable get‑together, and we also organise great departmental and company outings!

• Six times a year, the opportunity to purchase meat (and meat substitutes) at a competitive price;

• A six‑month contract;

• A financially sound employer committed to the long term;

• It’s no coincidence that our slogan is ‘Innovation That Matters’. So expect plenty of initiatives that we’ll ‘just go ahead and do’ – the Jan Zandbergen Group never stands still, and neither will your career.