Tupande Soko Avocado Oil Quality Assurance Senior Coordinator (Fixed-Term)

Role Overview

This role leads the day-to-day quality assurance operations in a food manufacturing environment, overseeing a team of QA Officers and laboratory technicians to ensure every product meets rigorous safety and consistency standards. You will be the central point for maintaining compliance with food safety regulations, driving continuous improvement, and reporting quality performance to senior leadership. Your work directly protects the company’s reputation and ensures customers receive a safe, high-quality product.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and execute a comprehensive QA strategy, including policies, procedures, and performance targets that align with organizational goals and industry benchmarks.
• Supervise, train, and mentor the QA and lab team, handling scheduling, performance reviews, and skill development to maintain an efficient, capable team.
• Ensure all operations stay compliant with FSMS, HACCP, GMP, SHEQ, and local environmental regulations; lead internal and external audits, track corrective actions, and act as the primary contact for regulatory inspections.
• Manage laboratory testing for dry matter, oil quality, ripening, water, and wastewater; verify equipment calibration and SOP adherence, review results, and escalate any significant out-of-spec findings.
• Monitor quality at all critical control points—from raw material intake through processing and storage—approve incoming materials, in-process goods, and finished products against established criteria, and recommend corrective actions.
• Oversee facility hygiene and sanitation schedules, verify cleaning records, approve chemicals and their concentrations, and manage sanitation inventory and usage.
• Maintain accurate QA documentation (test records, deviation logs, audit reports) and produce weekly/monthly quality summaries for management; drive root-cause analysis to close non-conformities.
• Champion a strong food safety culture, supervise waste segregation and environmental controls, and ensure boiler water and wastewater testing meets regulatory standards.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Food Science, Chemistry, Food Engineering, Microbiology, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 3–5 years of progressive QA experience in food manufacturing or agro-processing, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role overseeing QA and/or lab teams.
• Knowledge: Strong familiarity with Food Safety Management Systems, environmental regulations, and occupational health and safety practices in a production setting.
• Attention to detail: Ability to complete all tasks precisely according to processing requirements.
• Analytical thinking: Capable of identifying problems, investigating relevant facts, and developing logical, effective solutions.
• Communication: Clear verbal and written skills to explain process improvements and quality standards to cross-functional teams.
• Teamwork: Proven ability to collaborate with other departments to help them achieve their quality-related deliverables.
• Time management: Consistently allocates sufficient time to complete tasks at the required output and quality level.

What We Offer / Why Join

We invest in our people through a strong culture of continuous learning. You can expect weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular performance feedback. Career reviews are held every six months, with dedicated time to discuss your aspirations and long-term goals. This is an opportunity to influence a growing organization and build a rewarding career in quality assurance leadership.