Inspection Officer -Textile Engineering (1 Post) at Kenya Bureau of Standards

Job Purpose
Carries out Inspection activities and Services in the section to ensure that imported products comply with approved National, Regional and International Standards according to the Standards Act Cap 496 and KEBS strategic plan, by monitoring and evaluating quality inspections of imported products in Kenya to ensure safety of Kenyans, protect the environment and promote fair trade.

Operational Responsibilities / Tasks

• Carries out visual checks on the imported goods to confirm specified requirements in the applicable standards have been met;
• Releases imported goods that show compliance with specifications of the applicable standard by issuing a certificate of release in accordance with Standards Act CAP 496 Laws of Kenya;
• Recommends for rejection of goods that fail to comply with Kenya standards, East African standards and approved international standards in critical parameters by filling out seizure notification;
• Recommends for release of goods under seal to established manufacturer/importer whose goods is cleared through the green channel by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and has no impact on health, safety and environment for destination inspection to avoid congestion at the entry point;
• Offers technical advisory and inspection services to clients/importer that need reassurance and assistance in exporting or importing goods worldwide;
• Participates in re-export of goods that have not been allowed into the country by ensuring that the importer has prepared export entry documents and that the goods leave the country;
• Draws samples and ensures safe handling from the point of sampling to dispatch to laboratories;
• Participates in the development and implementation of inspection Risk management system by using previous imports data in order to reduce the likelihood of releasing goods that have impact on health, safety and environment;
• Provides information necessary for development of new Kenya standards or review of existing ones;
• Ascertain rectification/rework as may be applicable for goods that fails to comply with Kenya standards in non-critical parameters;
• Participates in carrying out of training need assessment in order to identify performance requirements and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve the departmental goals and objectives;
• Investigates and prepare Criminal Record files for prosecution of importers who are found importing substandard goods through the entry point to prevent dumping of substandard imported products into the Kenyan market;
• Keep inspection records and data on products released, sampled, rejected and reshipped, as a way of documenting evidence of inspection activities and evaluate progress in the station;
• Provides feedback on customer complaints and enquiries in order to improve on customer service delivery;
• Participates in corporate and sectional internal quality audits and ensure corrective actions are carried, out in accordance with the requirements of International standards ISO 9001; and
• Inspects and ensure that pre-verification of conformity covered products not accompanied with certificateof conformity pays a penalty fee equivalent to 15% of cost freight and insurance (CIF) values of the goods.

Job Competencies (Knowledge, Experience and Attributes / Skills).
Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Professional Qualifications / Membership to professional bodies

• Registration with following professional bodies,
• Chemistry society of Kenya
• Physics society of Kenya
• Food Nutrition and Dietetics Board
• Computer Society of Kenya
• Kenya Institute of Management
• National Quality Institute
• Gazetted Inspector

Functional Skills, Behavioral Competencies/Attributes:

• Functional Skills
• Quality Inspection and Auditing Skills
• Prosecution Skills
• Financial management skills
• Information, communication, and technology skills
• Presentation skills
• Report writing
• Negotiation skills
• Analytical skills

Behavioural

• Counselling skills.
• Problem solving skills
• Time management skills
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills