QUALITY ASSURANCE & FOOD SAFETY OFFICER

ROLE PURPOSE

The Quality Assurance & Food Safety Officer is responsible for owning, implementing, and enforcing all quality, food safety, and compliance systems across Duapa Agri’s processing, packaging, storage, and finished-goods operations.

This role ensures that all products leaving Duapa Agri facilities—whether for export, off-take, or consumer markets—are safe, consistent, compliant, traceable, and aligned with defined quality standards.

The role also provides independent oversight of raw materials quality at receiving points (factory and port) and ensures proper storage conditions for both raw materials and finished goods throughout the value chain.

This role is the final internal guardian of product integrity before goods reach customers or markets.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE

Operational Coverage

• Processing and production facilities
• Finished-goods and food production sites
• Raw materials receiving points (factories and ports)
• Warehouses and storage facilities (raw and finished goods)

Quality Coverage

• Processing quality
• Finished-goods quality
• Packaging integrity
• Sensory quality (taste, texture, smell, appearance)
• Food safety systems
• Traceability and batch control
• Storage condition compliance

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Processing & Production Quality Assurance

• Establish and enforce in-process quality controls across all processing and production sites.
• Define and monitor Critical Control Points (CCPs) in line with HACCP plans.
• Ensure adherence to approved SOPs, formulations, and process parameters.
• Monitor defects, rejects, rework, and yield-quality trade-offs.
• Work closely with Production Supervisors to correct deviations in real time.
• Authorize product continuation, rework, or rejection based on quality outcomes.

2. Finished Goods & Sensory Quality

• Define and enforce sensory quality standards for finished products, including:
  • Taste
  • Texture
  • Aroma
  • Visual appearance
  • Consistency between batches
• Establish sensory evaluation protocols and panels where required.
• Ensure recipe control, formulation locking, and tolerance limits are maintained.
• Investigate sensory complaints and implement corrective actions.

3. Packaging Material Integrity & Control

• Approve packaging materials and specifications (films, foils, cartons, jars, seals).
• Ensure packaging materials meet food safety, shelf-life, and integrity requirements.
• Monitor seal integrity, labeling accuracy, batch coding, and date marking.
• Manage packaging change control and supplier quality feedback.
• Investigate packaging failures and implement preventive actions.

4. Raw Materials Receiving Quality Oversight

• Oversee independent quality checks of raw materials at:
  • Factory intake
  • Port intake
• Supervise Receiving Raw Materials QC Analysts.
• Ensure received raw materials match origination quality specifications and reports.
• Flag and escalate quality deviations, deterioration, or substitutions.
• Maintain segregation of duties between origination QC and receiving QC.
• Provide documented evidence for acceptance, downgrade, rework, or rejection decisions.

5. Storage Conditions & Product Integrity

• Define and enforce storage condition standards for:
  • Raw materials
  • Semi-processed goods
  • Finished goods
• Monitor environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, hygiene, pest control).
• Ensure proper stock rotation (FIFO/FEFO).
• Conduct regular warehouse quality and hygiene audits.
• Work with Logistics & Warehouse teams to prevent quality deterioration during storage.

6. Batch Control, Traceability & Recall Readiness

• Design and maintain batch coding and traceability systems.
• Ensure linkage between raw materials, processing batches, and finished goods.
• Maintain recall readiness procedures and documentation.
• Lead mock recalls and traceability audits as required.
• Ensure traceability data is accurate, accessible, and audit-ready.

7. Food Safety Systems, SOPs & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain:
  • HACCP plans
  • GMP programs
  • Quality SOPs and work instructions
• Train production, warehouse, and logistics staff on quality and food safety requirements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable food safety and regulatory standards.
• Prepare sites for internal and external audits.
• Address audit findings with corrective and preventive actions.

8. Non-Conformance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Manage non-conformance reporting across processing, packaging, storage, and dispatch.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement CAPA.
• Track quality KPIs and trends.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen quality outcomes.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in food manufacturing, agro-processing, or FMCG quality roles.
• Strong hands-on experience with HACCP, GMP, and food safety systems.
• Experience managing processing and finished-goods quality.
• Exposure to audits, traceability, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred

• Multi-site manufacturing or processing experience.
• Experience with export-oriented food products.
• Familiarity with sensory evaluation systems.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong quality leadership and enforcement capability
• Practical, factory-floor mindset
• Strong documentation and system discipline
• Analytical and detail-oriented
• Confident communicator with production teams
• High integrity and independence

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Consistent product quality and sensory performance
• Reduction in quality incidents, rejects, and rework
• Strong audit outcomes and compliance
• Effective traceability and recall readiness
• Proper storage condition compliance
• Reduced customer complaints and quality disputes