Tupande Soko Avocado Oil Quality Assurance Senior Coordinator (Fixed-Term) at One Acre Fund

About the Role

• Ensures compliance with food safety, environmental, and regulatory standards and leads a team of QA Officers and technicians to deliver consistent product quality and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

Quality Assurance Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and implement a robust QA strategy, policies, and procedures aligned with company goals and industry best practices.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to elevate product quality and reduce deviations and non-conformities.
• Set quality performance targets, monitor KPIs, and report results to senior leadership.

Team Management

• Manage and mentor a team of QA Officers and laboratory personnel.
• Oversee staff scheduling, training, performance management, and skills development.
• Ensure the QA team operates efficiently and is well-equipped with tools and training.

Compliance and Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure all operations comply with Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), HACCP, GMP, SHEQ, and local environmental regulations.
• Coordinate and lead internal and external audits; prepare reports and follow up on corrective actions.
• Act as the point of contact for quality and food safety inspections by external bodies.

Laboratory Oversight

• Oversee all laboratory testing processes, including dry matter, oil quality, ripening, water, and wastewater analysis.
• Ensure testing equipment is calibrated, maintained, and operated according to SOPs.
• Review and validate test results; investigate and escalate significant deviations.

Process and Product Quality Assurance

• Monitor and validate quality at critical control points across receiving, ripening, processing, and storage.
• Approve raw material intake, in-process materials, and finished products based on quality criteria.
• Review QA reports and recommend corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Facility Hygiene and Sanitation

• Ensure cleaning schedules cover all production areas, equipment, and facilities.
• Review cleaning records and sanitation checklists.
• Approve cleaning and sanitizing chemicals and ensure correct concentrations are used
• Supervise the sanitation consumable use and stock control

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain complete and accurate QA documentation, including test records, deviation logs, and audit reports.
• Compile and present weekly/monthly quality reports to management.
• Drive root cause analysis and ensure proper closure of non-conformities.

Food Safety and Waste Management

• Champion food safety culture across the organization.
• Supervise proper waste segregation, disposal, and environmental controls.
• Ensure proper handling of boiler water and wastewater testing for regulatory compliance.

Career Growth and Development

• We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You'll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You'll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Minimum academic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Food Science, Chemistry, Food Engineering, Microbiology, or a related discipline.
• Work Experience: Minimum 3–5 years of progressive experience in quality assurance in food manufacturing or agro-processing. At least 2 years in a supervisory or management capacity overseeing QA/lab teams.
• Knowledge and experience in the Food safety management system, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace.
• Attention to detail: Ensures all your tasks are completed to the processing needs.
• Analytical skills: Have the ability to identify a problem, investigate to find out relevant facts, and find a logical solution.
• Written and verbal communication: Strong verbal communication skills can help you explain ways to improve processes to other people so they can achieve set quality standards.
• Ability to work as part of a team: Teamwork champion for team work to to help all departments deliver their deliverables.
• Time management: Ensures you have adequate time to complete your tasks to the desired output and quality standards.