Quality Assurance Manager

Network Finance; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Finance is seeking a senior Quality Assurance Manager to own the Quality and Food Safety function at a Midrand manufacturing facility. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on involvement on the factory floor to ensure products meet customer specifications and regulatory requirements.

You will drive continuous improvement, manage audits and customer relationships, and lead a team to improve overall manufacturing quality and performance in a high-volume environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Management or Microbiology.
• 10+ years of QA experience in food manufacturing or contract packing.
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards, audits and CAPA processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Assurance and Food Safety Management System, ensuring compliance with FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP, Halaal, Kosher, E-Mark and customer-specific requirements.
• Manage internal, customer, certification and regulatory audits, CAPA, NCA and non-conformance processes.
• Oversee customer complaints, product specifications, quality holds, quarantine, rejection and release.
• Partner with Production and Engineering to drive Right First Time manufacturing and reduce waste.
• Lead and develop the QA team and provide management with regular quality performance reporting.

Skills

Quality leadership

Audits

Root-cause analysis

Stakeholder management

Education

Food Science / Quality Management degree

Job description

Our client, an established organisation within the food manufacturing and contract packing industry, is looking for an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to take ownership of the Quality and Food Safety function at their Midrand manufacturing facility. This is a senior role for a Quality professional who is equally comfortable working strategically with senior management and getting involved on the factory floor. You'll be responsible for ensuring that products consistently meet customer specifications, food safety standards, legal requirements and certification requirements, while driving a culture of continuous improvement across the operation. The successful candidate will have the technical authority to manage food safety and quality risks, engage confidently with customers and auditors, and lead a team towards stronger quality performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Assurance and Food Safety Management System, ensuring compliance with FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP, Halaal, Kosher, E-Mark and customer-specific requirements.
• Manage internal, customer, certification and regulatory audits, as well as CAR, NCA, CAPA, non-conformance and root-cause processes.
• Oversee customer complaints, product specifications, quality holds, quarantine, rejection and product release requirements.
• Partner with Production and Engineering to drive Right First Time manufacturing, reduce waste, rework, rejects and quality-related downtime.
• Lead Quality input into new product development, trials and industrialisation while driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead and develop the Quality team while providing management with regular quality performance, risk and Cost of Poor Quality reporting.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant Degree or Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Management, Microbiology or a related field.
• 10+ years' Quality Assurance experience, preferably within food manufacturing, with proven senior Quality leadership experience.
• Strong working knowledge of FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP, audits, CAPA, NCA, customer complaints and root-cause analysis.
• Experience in contract packing, co-manufacturing or FMCG is highly advantageous, with exposure to customer technical relationships and audits.
• Strong commercial and operational understanding with proven ability to lead teams, implement change and drive continuous improvement.
• HACCP and FSSC 22000 knowledge required; Lead Auditor experience advantageous. Valid driver's licence essential.

This is an opportunity for a senior Quality professional who wants to have a genuine impact on food safety, customer satisfaction and manufacturing performance, rather than simply managing compliance from the sidelines.

If you have the technical expertise, leadership experience and commercial mindset to take ownership of Quality within a high-volume manufacturing environment, we'd like to hear from you.