SHEQ Junior Manager

KERSTON FOODS CC; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food processing company in Cape Town seeks a SHEQ Manager to establish and maintain comprehensive Health & Safety, Food Safety, and Quality systems. The role involves compliance with multiple certifying bodies and regulatory requirements, while ensuring operational excellence, product integrity, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will possess relevant certifications and lead initiatives across the organization, including training staff and overseeing audits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Health and Safety training

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Health & Safety, Food Safety, and Quality Management.
• Ability to conduct audits and manage compliance.
• Strong skills in training and coaching teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead SHEQ initiatives and ensure compliance.
• Conduct training and audits for staff.
• Oversee defective stock handling and quality management.

Skills

Health & Safety management

Food Safety compliance

Quality management

Auditing and inspections

Training and coaching

Education

Relevant degree or certification in Health & Safety, Food Safety, or Quality Management

Tools

Quality Management System (QMS)

FSSC 22000

HACCP

Environmental Management systems

Job description

The SHEQ Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and maintaining Kerston Foods’ Health & Safety, Environment, Food Safety, and Quality systems. The role ensures compliance with legal, customer, and certification requirements (FSSC 22000, HACCP, OHS Act, Environmental Legislation & ECOVADIS). This position ensures safe food handling, product integrity, operational excellence, and workplace safety while driving continuous improvement across the organization.

Duties & Responsibilities

Supervisory

• Lead Health & Safety, Environment, Food Safety, and Quality initiatives.
• Provide guidance and oversight to all teams regarding SHEQ & Food Safety compliance.
• Conduct SHEQ and Food Safety training, toolbox talks, and coaching sessions.
• Supervise SHEQ staff or assistants (if applicable).
• Facilitate audit readiness and manage corrective action plans.
• Embed a culture of safety, cleanliness, quality, and compliance.
• Ensure ongoing readiness for customer, FSSC, ECOVADIS and regulatory audits.
• Support Operations, Warehouse, Procurement, and Quality teams with SHEQ alignment.

Receiving, Returns, and Warehouse Defective & Non-Conforming Stock Control.

• Oversee and monitor the handling of defective and non-conforming stock in the warehouse.
• Ensure all returned, damaged, expired, or compromised stock is correctly identified, isolated, labelled, documented and discarded of .
• Conduct food safety and quality checks on all returns and defective products, including verification of temperature abuse, packaging integrity, and contamination risks.
• Ensure correct procedures for segregation of high-risk, quarantined, or unsafe products.
• Lead investigations into non-conforming stock trends and identify root causes.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for traceability of all non-conforming and returned products.
• Verify compliance with FSSC, HACCP, Ecovadis and legal food safety requirements for product handling and disposal.
• Strengthen controls over defective and non-conforming stock to prevent contamination, rework, or accidental reintroduction into sellable inventory.
• Reduce financial losses by improving accuracy in returns, damages, and non-conforming stock processes.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety and quality regulations concerning isolation, disposal, and corrective action processes.
• Support Finance, Sales, and Procurement through accurate categorization of defects, returns, and supplier-related non-conformance issues.

Quality Management

• Maintain and update the Quality Management System (QMS).
• Conduct internal audits, process inspections, and quality trend analysis.
• Manage customer complaints and conduct root cause analysis.
• Support process improvement and Six Sigma initiatives.

Environmental Management

• Implement environmental management policies ECOVADIS
• Monitor waste management, energy usage, and recycling programmes.
• Conduct environmental inspections and risk assessments.

Health and Safety

• Conduct HIRA, JSA/JHA, Bow-Tie Analysis, and safety risk assessments.
• Lead incident investigations and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Oversee emergency preparedness, PPE compliance, and safety training.
• Maintain OHS Act compliance and safety files.

Food Safety

• Maintain and manage Food Safety Systems (FSSC 22000, HACCP, PRPs, GMPs).
• Conduct daily, weekly, and monthly food safety inspections in all temperature zones.
• Ensure strict adherence to cold chain, hygiene standards, and allergen controls.
• Maintain accurate food safety records, version control, and documentation.
• Lead product recall simulations, traceability tests, and food defence activities.
• Train staff on food safety requirements, hygiene, product handling, and contamination prevention
• Ensure all operations meet or exceed food safety legal requirements.
• Protect product integrity and reduce food safety risks.
• Ensure audit readiness for FSSC, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Support Procurement with supplier food safety documentation and COA verification.