Customer and Supplier FSQ Coordinator

BevCo; KwaMakhutha; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 450 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading FMCG company in KwaMakhutha is seeking a Customer & Supplier FSQ Coordinator. The role involves managing the Supplier Quality Assurance process, conducting supplier audits, and ensuring compliance with customer requirements. The ideal candidate will have a National Diploma in Food Technology with up to 5 years experience, strong analytical and communication skills, and be adept at problem-solving. This position promotes a commitment to quality and safety standards across the supply chain.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration

Opportunities for training and development

Qualifications

• Grade 12 / Matric / MIN National Diploma in Food Technology, Biotechnology or related field.
• Up to 5 years’ experience in FMCG.
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Supplier Quality Assurance process.
• Conduct supplier audits and maintain relationships.
• Ensure customer requirements are implemented across the supply chain.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Detail-oriented

Education

National Diploma in Food Technology or related field

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Customer & Supplier FSQ Coordinator

Operations

The purpose of the role is to provide support across the group to maintain and continuously improve the Customer Compliance and Supplier Quality Assurance Program. To collaborate with the Regional Quality/FS, R&D and Procurement teams to enforce the organisations SQA and Customer requirements. Represent the organization in conducting supplier audits while building professional relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Line of reporting - National Quality & Food Safety Manager.

Key Accountabilities and Outputs

Supplier Quality Assurance

Manage the SQA process for suppliers of ingredients, packaging, contract packed products, monitoring & measuring equipment, and external service providers.

Manage and improve the National Supplier Database ensuring it is always up to date.

Drive improvements through management of deviations for supplied materials and reduction thereof.

New & Current Supplier Approvals – ensure that the relevant documentation in accordance with the supplier evaluation procedure is requested, verified, and approved.

Ensure that high risk suppliers are audited on site in accordance with the established audit schedules.

Ensure that Supplier audits have been tallied, findings have been closed out with corrective action and effectiveness of the corrective action is verified. Update Supplier audit registers.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Supplier NC trends and escalation of any concerns.

Reporting Supplier Trends to Head of Procurement and National QFS Manager.

Collaborate with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure supplier compliance with specifications and contracts.

Implement Change Management Protocols.

Carry out supplier criticality & vulnerability and risk assessments and analyse data for supplier rating.

Maintain effective communication and relationships with suppliers.

Ensure that service provider performance assessments are completed at each facility.

Supplier Performance Management – to ensure Quality standards in product manufacture by third party service providers meets the standards required.

Religious Certification Compliance

Ensure that all raw materials are kosher and halal certified and where not locally certified then obtain approval from local certification bodies.

Follow up with suppliers and religious bodies for the certification of any raw material.

Work closely with R&D and religious certification bodies to ensure certification of all NPD before trial stage.

Flag any issues with religious certifications to National QFS Manager.

Customer Compliance

Ensure that customer requirements are understood, communicated and implemented across the supply chain.

Ensure that suppliers and or service providers are selected and evaluated to meet customer requirements where applicable.

Ensure that only customer approved suppliers are used across the supply chain where franchise brands or private brands with this specific requirement is concerned.

Maintain the customer compliance database and keep up to date, communicate and implement any changes to customer requirements.

Quality & Food Safety

Coordinate quality assessments on specific business functions / processes.

Drive the resolution of customer & supplier quality issues / concerns in collaboration with the relevant teams.

Assess and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of application, operational controls, procedures and processes of the Customer and Supplier QA program.

Critically evaluate controls in place, identifying risks and create suitable solutions.

In cases of non‑compliance, consult with the relevant authority for management decision making.

Provide the necessary support to ensure that the organisations QFS Culture is executed across its supply chain.

Where applicable, provide training internally on customer requirements across the organisation and training to customers and suppliers on the organisations procedures and requirements where appropriate.

Continuous Improvement

Identify areas for improvement within the QFS system and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to implement improvements.

Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices related to quality and food safety.

Support initiatives related to process optimisation, cost reduction, and quality enhancement.

Documentation and Reporting

Maintain accurate records related to supplier audits, customer complaints, corrective actions, and quality metrics.

• Generate periodic quality and food safety performance reports for management review.

Ensure all QFS documentation is kept up‑to‑date and complies with regulatory and company standards.

Qualifications And Experience

Grade 12 / Matric / MIN National Diploma in Food Technology, Biotechnology/Analytical Chemistry or related field.

Up to 5 years’ experience (Operational Execution) FMCG.

Previous experience in handling customer requirements and or Supplier QA will be advantageous.

Strong knowledge of food safety standards and regulatory requirements.

Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise, and work in a fast‑paced environment.

Analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Basic MS Excel, MS Word, E‑Mail, PowerPoint.

Key Qualities

Communication: Routine communication in connection with instructions, requests or normal work tasks.

Proficient in English, strong communication and presentation skills.

Problem Solving: Proactive identification of problems that are concrete and procedural, troubleshoot and apply solutions in line with guidelines provided or escalate more complex problems to superiors, providing information required to solve problems.

Detail Oriented, results driven and capable of finding solutions working independently or part of a team.

Relationships Maintained: Others outside of own work area but inside the organisation, supplier, customers and other stakeholders.

Behavioural Competencies

Verbal Communication: Able to communicate verbally in a logical manner. Takes the intended audience into account when communicating verbal information. Makes use of appropriate business language. Includes all relevant information in verbal arguments. Demonstrates proficiency of language. Interprets complex information to express own viewpoint. Concludes verbal arguments by making reference to relevant facts.

Decision Making: Organises information to make it easier to analyse or see trends. Anticipates consequences and formulates alternatives. Establishes clear decision criteria for making informed choices. Seeks relevant information to better understand situations and problems. Conducts appropriate analysis; neither makes snap decisions or over‑analyses. Sees relationships between various facts, figures or other information.

Continuous Improvement: Increases performance expectations when success has been achieved. Seeks out sources of information, including trade associations, "best practice" companies, customers, peers, subordinates. Finds ways to fast‑adapt improvement ideas to work processes. Proactively seeks out resources, alliances, etc., needed to quickly introduce improvements.

Collaboration: Helps others with their work. Meets commitments to team members or others in the organisation. Actively contributes to team discussions and the accomplishment of team work plans. Shares expertise and resources to help others address their needs. Seeks to include all those who can contribute to the most successful outcome and those who have a stake in the results. Actively keeps all stakeholders informed. Attempts to reinvigorate team processes when progress is lagging: stays engaged even when not in full agreement with the team's direction.

Accountability: Accomplishes assigned tasks and goals: takes necessary actions to keep progress against objectives on track and prepares a roadmap for success. Ensures that all who need to know, are clear about the plan. Takes full responsibility for own actions and outcomes, including mistakes. Always acts in the company's best interest, regardless of whether it is difficult or unpopular. Ensures others are on track for achieving their goals.

Adherence to the Quality, Food Safety, Health, Safety and Environmental Standards

Adherence to Standards: Ensure strict adherence to Quality, Food, Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards. Enforcement: Enforce all food safety and health regulations, policies, and requirements at all times to guarantee a secure work environment.

Personal Hygiene: Maintain exceptional personal hygiene as per the organization's code of conduct. Contamination Control: Raise awareness about potential physical product contamination and implement control measures to prevent it. Health and Safety Measures: Take reasonable precautions to prevent health and safety hazards. Follow the prescribed incident reporting procedure in case of accidents.

Knowledge and Compliance: Stay updated with relevant business information, policies, processes, and procedures. Enforce compliance with legislative and statutory requirements, as well as GMP's (Good Manufacturing Practices). Training: Attend and enforce the implementation of learnings from training sessions related to Quality, Food Safety, and Health and Safety.

Housekeeping: Maintain high levels of cleanliness and orderliness within the work environment.

General

Conversant with relevant business information, policies, processes and procedures. Maintains expected performance standards.

While job descriptions are written up for the purpose of a basic outline of the work and responsibilities associated with the Job, the Company encourages and expects all employees from time to time, to assist with work that may not be a direct part of their job description.