Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager

Kerry & Co.; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry & Co. Auckland, New Zealand is seeking a Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager to lead the QA function, ensure global food safety and quality standards, and drive continuous improvement across manufacturing and laboratory operations.

The role partners with cross-functional teams to meet regulatory and customer requirements while embedding quality in daily operations. The successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant science, 3+ years of people leadership in QA, and strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline relevant to food quality.
• Minimum 3 years of people leadership experience in QA and food safety in manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems, quality management principles, and regulatory requirements.
• Hands-on experience with HACCP, risk assessments, prerequisite programs, and food safety investigations.
• Proven ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders, and drive accountability across functions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with RCA, CAPA, and continuous improvement experience.
• Knowledge of BRC, SQF, WQA, AQIS, HACCP, and GMP standards.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Quality Control team and ensure timely testing and release activities.
• Upskill the Quality Control Team and enhance team culture.
• Manage production laboratories, maintaining resources, equipment and consumables.
• Build relationships with cross-functional teams to deliver excellent customer service.
• Support prerequisite programs including pest control, sanitation, and GMP.
• Implement and maintain global food safety and quality programs per Kerry standards.
• Act as gatekeeper for new product introduction (NPI) through the factory.
• Apply RCA and CAPA to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Utilise SPC and CPk analysis to improve product quality and process capability.
• Provide leadership, management, evaluation and training to laboratory staff.
• Conduct RCA and implement CAPA as required.
• Apply CAPA and continuous improvement in process quality.
• Lead site-wide culture of food safety and quality and drive change.
• Participate in continuous improvement with careful planning and change management.
• Lead non-conformance and customer complaint investigations with timely reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Quality Assurance

GMP

CAPA

Root Cause Analysis

SPC

Continuous Improvement

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Thinking

Problem Solving

Team Development

Cross-functional Collaboration

Change Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related discipline

Tools

HACCP

Job description

Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager

Company : Kerry & Co. Job Type : Full Time New Zealand

Job Description - Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager

Requisition ID: 66228
Position Type: FT Permanent
Workplace Arrangement: #LI-Onsite

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

Work Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Reporting To: Quality Manager

The role is responsible for leading the Quality Assurance function and ensuring the effective implementation of Kerry’s global food safety, quality, and compliance standards. It is instrumental in maintaining product integrity, supporting operational excellence, and driving continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing and laboratory operations.

As a key member of the Quality team, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure products consistently meet customer, regulatory, and company requirements while fostering a culture of quality and food safety throughout the site.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Quality Control team, ensuring timely testing, streamlining of all product and raw material release activities.
• Upskilling of the Quality Control Team and enhancing the Team Culture.
• Manage production laboratories, maintaining resources, equipment, and consumables to deliver uninterrupted service.
• Build collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams to provide excellent customer service levels.
• Support prerequisite programs including pest control, sanitation, and GMP.
• Implement and maintain global food safety and quality programs in compliance with Kerry standards.
• Act as the gatekeeper for new product introduction (NPI) through the factory.
• Apply root cause analysis tools and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) plans to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Utilise Statistical Process Control (SPC) and root cause analysis to enhance product quality and improve Process Capability Index (CpK).
• Provide leadership, management, evaluation, and training to laboratory employees.
• Conduct RCA and implement CAPA as required.

Process Quality

• Apply root cause analysis tools, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans to address issues, prevent recurrence, and drive continuous improvement.
• Champion a culture of excellence by building a site-wide commitment to embedding food safety and quality into daily operations, leadership behaviours, and employee mindset. Lead by example to ensure quality is everyone’s responsibility.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and activities, ensuring careful planning and change management tools are applied.
• Lead non-conformance and customer complaint investigation teams, ensuring root causes are identified, CAPA implemented, and reports issued in a timely manner

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of people leadership experience within Quality Assurance and food safety in the food manufacturing industry.
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems, quality management principles, and regulatory requirements.
• Hands-on experience with HACCP, risk assessments, prerequisite programs, and food safety investigations.
• Proven ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders, and drive accountability across functions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience applying RCA, CAPA, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of BRC, SQF, WQA, AQIS, HACCP, and GMP standards.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and manage competing priorities.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently while fostering collaboration across teams.
• Demonstrated success in leading change, process improvement, and quality excellence initiatives.
• Experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC), process capability analysis, and quality performance metrics.
• Familiarity with global food safety and quality frameworks within a multinational manufacturing environment.