Quality Manager : Operations And Design

Lactalis South Africa; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the Dairy industry is seeking a Senior Quality Manager to oversee the quality support function for their manufacturing plants. The role involves cross-functional collaboration to ensure food safety and quality standards are met, alongside driving continuous improvement initiatives and process audits. Candidates should possess a BSc degree and extensive experience in the FMCG sector, ideally the Dairy industry, along with strong communication and administrative skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-8 years' experience in the FMCG Industry, preferably Dairy.
• Experience with Internal Auditing is preferable.
• Ability to provide high-quality training and supervision to staff.

Responsibilities

• Audit and improve all manufacturing processes.
• Participate actively and support in root cause analysis of NQL.
• Support plant quality teams to improve quality over different KPIs.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Problem-solving

Administrative skills

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Education

BSc Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Role Purpose

Central Quality support function to Industrial/Manufacturing Plants in South Africa with a Total Quality Approach in mind. This role will work extensively cross-functionally with other Central roles to fulfill the Food Safety and Quality requirements of the business.

Requirements

• BSc. Degree or relevant tertiary qualification
• Minimum 5-8 years’ experience in the FMCG Industry, Dairy Industry would be an advantage
• Internal Auditing experience would be preferable
• Good verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to write complex documentation and convey information in a concise and understandable manner
• Excellent administrative skills with the ability to maintain accurate and comprehensive record keeping ensuring meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to show initiative, problem solve and make independent decisions
• Ability to provide high quality training and supervision to staff
• Computer literacy on Microsoft Office suite
• Strong administration skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work both collaboratively and independently
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Ability to produce high level quality work with good reproducibility to tight deadlines
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside of normal hours to meet deadlines

Duties and Responsibilities

Process Management

• Audit and improve all manufacturing processes
• Report daily/weekly and monthly on any deviations in the processes
• Conduct and support on process validations

NQL

• Participate actively and support in root cause analysis of reasons for NQL. Track progress and implementation of actions by Industrial and Quality teams.
• Communicate effectively to management on weekly and monthly basis on progress, status, and actions in place. Revise with team gates/controls to prevent NQL from a Quality Assurance point of view.

Cleaning and Sanitation

• Hygiene and cleaning improvement through focused validations of CIP, alignment with Lactalis practices, and supporting teams with leadership and guidance.
• Support cost savings initiatives on chemical use, equipment use, reduction in water, energy, and time by applying validated data.
• Water scope and improvements, including suppliers.
• Form strong links with Procurement on chemical procurement, validation, and approval processes.
• Ensure SLA’s are in place with chemical suppliers and review current SLA’s.
• Attend and support monthly meetings with chemical suppliers with cross-functional teams.

Continuous Improvement

• Support plant quality teams to improve quality over different KPI’s, aligned with Lactalis processes.
• Assist on industrial projects, process improvements, and deliver excellent support through effective KPI management.
• Lead quality and industrial teams on critical aspects, focusing on PRP practices.
• Support the SQMS program for Lactalis SA.

Reports

• NQL reports (all plants + actions) as per schedule.
• CIP chemical cost and improvement opportunities reports.
• Plant visit reports after each visit.
• Verification and validation reports as scheduled.
• Adhoc support on action plans and recommendations.

General

Customer and consumer support.