QA Manager

About the role

• This role leads the BC Quality team in Malaysia based at Pasir Gudang factory and partners with Plant Manager for operational matters. The person is responsible to ensure design and implementation of quality and food safety management systems, maintenance of operational quality, hygiene & sanitation practices, , ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, overseeing release of approved finished product that meet sensory and quality standards to customers, address all internal / external quality audits, consumer feedback and complaints. The role also supports BC Cocoa business on quality of 3rd party sourced products, distribution & supply chain quality and new product introductions. Person is also a key liaison for local incident and crisis management as well as partner with plant team and commercial organization on engagement with national and key customers.

Key responsibilities include

1. Safety / Security / Hygiene

• Work with relevant departments to supervise the implementation and maintenance of all safety, health and environmental procedures in accordance with company policies and standards.
• Lead managing factory GMP, hygiene & sanitation procedures and ensure that standards are consistently improved and corrective actions are timely and effectively taken.

2. Food Safety and Quality System Management – System Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all ISO, HACCP, HALAL standards and customer/external audit requirements;
• Prepare and successfully complete internal, customer and third party audits;
• Build up good relationship with local authority and assure full compliance with national and international quality/food safety related legislation;
• Work closely with Regional and Global QA to do implement BC global quality standards;

3. Food Safety and Quality System Management – Lab Operations, Measurements and Testing

• Oversees lab operations to ensure that analytical procedures, records and reports are released in timely manner for specified requirements;
• Ensures that BC specified analytical procedures are implemented in the labs;
• Internal calibration checks on Lab related equipment and schedules calibration of equipment requiring outside calibration;
• Maintain measurement system data recording and integrity;
• Food Safety and Quality System Management – ensure that documentation practices at site are as per BC global standards
• Controls and reports all non-conformance product as per documented procedures
• Ensures completion of all customer required testing at internal or external labs
• Reports production quality through Certificate of Compliance or Analysis as specified by customer

4. Food Safety and Quality System Management – Customer Relationship

• Works closely with Sales, Customer Service and larger CSD for management of product quality and compliance
• Works with production and customer to determine optimized process settings to assure specified requirements are met (specifically during sampling and product qualification process)
• Input on periodic customer visits where needed;
• Leads the customer complaint process, investigation and CAPA process;
• Complete survey and questionnaire and answer technical questions from customers;

5. Food Safety and Quality System Management – Supplier Management

• Maintains list of approved and audited suppliers and sub-contractors as per requirement;
• Closely work with purchasing / sourcing on new suppliers development;
• Conducts for cause and periodic operational review of suppliers in partnership with Global Supplier Quality organization
• Maintains trends of supplier quality performance and takes proactive / reactive steps for improvements

6. Productivity Improvement

• Prepare, monitor and control departmental expense budget;
• Efficiently support to production and other departments on quality related affairs to enhance timely supplying or problem solving.
• Ensures that QA team is sufficiently resourced and trained to manage plant operational needs.

7. People Management

• Ensure all team members understand and follow company policies and procedures.
• Provide training and supervision to all personnel performing quality testing within the quality lab and on the production floor
• Manage the team ensuring staff are motivated, trained and ready to achieve objectives, in a positive and collaborative environment.
• Develop management talents necessary to achieve short and long range objectives by effective direction, coaching and training according to an overall manpower planning;

8. Quality by design

• Ensure that the production facility, warehouse, labs, etc. are designed to ensure man and material movement that prevent defects & errors
• Provide inputs into hygiene and sanitary standards for equipment, facilities, labs and external areas
• Ensure the facilities and equipment are qualified / validated to meet the design quality specifications
• Work with PD team to ensure that quality specifications and assurance is built in from design stage of NPIs.

9. Barry Callebaut Operating System (BCOS)

• Works to develop and implement the Integrated Quality pillar at site
• Ensures that QA team resources are embedded in the BCOS program

10. Continuous Improvement

• Work with the CI team to continuously develop best practices in lab, operational quality and QA systems
• Continuously look at avenues to reduce waste and variation in manufacturing, packaging and lab operations
• Optimize quality system /WI in line with customer requirements and benchmarking.

About you 

• 10 – 15 years working experience in QC / QA in food industry
• Past experience as Site QA Manager
• Preferable experience in manufacturing, production operations or projects
• Technical knowledge in fields of cocoa / chocolate / staples / fats & oils / coffee
• Part or complete experience with MNCs and with track record of quality and compliance
• Some experience & understanding of lean & six sigma, certification would be a bonus
• Exposure to laboratory operations especially microbiological procedures
• Bachelor Degree or above in Biology/Chemistry/Food Technology/Biochemistry/Chemical Engineering
• Deep understanding of quality systems based on ISO9001, HACCP, BRC and Halal certifications
• Language – fluent in English and Bahasa