Position Overview
Manager – Quality & Food Safety (QFS) associate
shall primarily be responsible for implementing INSWA QFS strategy across Bottling operations and for enhancing the system performance on our strategic QFS imperatives in the areas of Manufacturing, Distribution and People Capability & Culture. As part of this position, associate will also focus on developing pro-active governance programs to derisk our Bottling system from any existing and / or emerging risks linked with new Products & packages, capacity projects involving new production lines & facilities, Water Sources & Treatment; and capabilities for Microbiology, Sensory, HACCP, etc.This associate will be part of INSWA Operating Unit (OU) – Technical Innovation & Supply Chain (TISC) function; and will work closely with the system stakeholders including - Global Development and Innovation (GDI) teams, Bottling Plants, Suppliers, Corporate QSE & OU Teams. This associate shall also partner with the Global network teams to exchange knowledge and best practices. Hence the position requires sound academic background, knowledge and experience of food & beverage processing methods & technologies. Associates’ leadership skills & experience of working in various Business, Social & Bottling Cultures will be critical in understanding & maintaining relevant approaches for effective interaction with System Stakeholders to achieve desired results
Function Related Activities/Key Responsibilities
- QFS Governance of assigned Bottling Groups and their respective Operations (including Co-packs)
- Drive compliances to company (KORE, OU, Call to Actions) & regulatory (e.g. FSSAI, BIS, MOH, etc.) requirements as applicable to our products, packages and processes.
- Partner with Bottling Group QSE Heads, Plants QFS Leads and OU Tech Ops in delivering INSWA QSE1 score (on QFS traditional & supplemental metrics). Organize routine cadences with concerned stakeholders
- Conduct risk-based visits / assessments of plants, warehouses, distributors and retails markets for on-ground evaluation of the adequacy & effectiveness of the QFS programs basis a focused & clear agenda. Implement consequence management in case any high-risk non-conformances or lapses are observed.
- Drive timely investigation & actions on any reported QFS incidents / IMCRs, organize cadences with Bottling QSE in partnership with Tech Ops and provide instant feedback.
- Ensure 100% participation and performance of bottling teams in Microbiological Proficiency Testing (PF), and Sensory Proficiency (SPSS) programs as per specified frequency.
- Support bottling teams in RCA & CAP development on GAO and OU issued non-conformances; QFS Incidents / IMCRs, PT failures, etc. Facilitate timely completion and effective closure of committed actions along with respective Tech Ops to prevent recurrence.
- Support development and upgrade of QFS Governance programs basis learnings from the system and / or assessment of risks resulting from process or technology changes.
- Drive implementation of fit-for-purpose QFS standards for co-packers to ensure product quality and KORE compliance.
- Escalate any concerns proactively and timely to the concerned stakeholders.
- QFS Risk Management and Troubleshooting
- Oversee the system’s preparedness for any emerging QFS risks and / or implications of any upcoming regulatory requirements / changes on our operations. Participate in the risk identification, mitigation and troubleshooting process.
- Establish, implement and enhance E2E water quality risk management programs in the Bottling Operations. Liaise with Tech Ops, Service Providers and SMEs to support troubleshooting. Bring in efficient solutions and set up protocols to validate their efficacy in water risk mitigation.
- Co-lead the implementation of Thermal Processing Projects (Aseptic PET, Hot-Fill PET, Tunnel Processing) in the Bottling Operations. Support project leads in ensuring that all these lines meet required quality standards consistently across all bottlers and participate in RCA & troubleshooting.
- Drive successful validations & commercialization of Low Acid Products including Dairy and Plant based beverages on Aseptic PET Lines.
- Partner System in QFS Capability Building
- Partner OU Sr. QFS Manager and Capability Lead in the development, socialization and implementation of QFS capability Programs (on Water, UHT Processing & Aseptic Packaging, Dairy, Microbiology & EMP, Sensory, HACCP, etc.)
- Deliver QFS Onboarding framework for new joinees (e.g. Quality Managers / Team Leads, Sensory Panelists, Microbiologists, Analysts, etc.) in the Bottling System.
- Identify training needs of Bottling Teams on processes, technologies & analytical testing. Plan and organize identified trainings timely.
- Execution of Capacity Projects and Guidance on QFS aspects to Project teams
- Lead the assigned Capacity projects from start till end and ensure the lines are validated and approved in accordance with specified KORE and OU QSE requirements.
- Provide critical & timely inputs and approvals of Water Schemes - post evaluation of quality risks and controls for Water Treatment Plants (in Brownfield and Greenfield plants).
- Provide QFS inputs on processing conditions (temperature, holding time, flow rate, F value, etc.) basis review of Holding coil calculations, technical details, etc of the pasteurizers and sterilizers.
- Review and guide on the design & layout of QA and micro laboratories, good laboratory practices & analytical methods etc. during the project phase.
- Data Based Analytics for Process Excellence and Continuous Improvement
- Track Consumer Concerns, generate trends and share insights with the stakeholders. Collaborate with Bottling Teams on RCA and Corrective Actions for improvement.
- Lead Freshness Survey Program. Generate trends, establish linkages with market related consumer concerns, QFS incidents across the system, Trade sampling results, etc.. Share feedback with for the system to enable decision making on any light weighting initiatives
- Generate insights for the system by analysing & reviewing real-time data on other QFS metrics – from Product Integrity program (PIP) & Trade Sampling or Marketplace monitoring results, GAO audit non-conformances, PT & SPSS results, etc. Identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and recommend strategies for incident prevention to system stakeholders.
- Support implementation of innovation projects (Products, Packages, Technology, Processes)
- Provide QFS inputs to system stakeholders – QFS Innovation, GDI, SRA, Commercialization, Packaging, etc. – basis risk assessment as part of Quality by Design (QbD) using Global Risk Assessment Tools (e.g. Workfront).
- Support the system in development of protocols for validation and shelf life studies; review of analytical reports & post commercialization launches.
Education Requirements
- Academic – Master’s Degree in Food Technology | Bachelor in Science with Biochemistry / Microbiology / Life Sciences
- Professional - Courses in Thermal Processing e.g. Aseptic (preferably covering Dairy, Juices, Tea, etc.), Trained & certified On Food Safety (HACCP) | FSSC 22000 | ISO 9001
Related Work Experience
- 6-7 years in Quality & Food Safety in the Food and / or Beverage Industry.
- Proven Track record in the following areas:
- Leading diverse teams in Manufacturing Plants
- Risk assessment approach to evaluate existing processes, and identify more efficient, impactful & fit for purpose means to support business goals
- Stakeholder management: Demonstrated Skills pertaining to effective communication (verbal & written), influencing decisions and managing conflict situations
- Must be familiar with Tools for Troubleshooting, Root Cause analysis and Problem Solving
Functional Skills
- Program Management: Ability to ensure that work is completed by cross functional team members efficiently by adjusting priorities; establishing management routines to effectively track progress & compliance and identify issues, removing barriers and leveraging resources.
- Technical Advocacy: Ability to articulate the system’s goals, initiatives, associated risks and decisions - timely, clearly and persuasively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to collaborate & network effectively with internal and external parties (Brand, Category, Commercialization, Packaging, SRA, Tech Ops, etc.), Bottling Teams, Regulatory authorities, NGO stakeholders and key customers.
- Proactive Approach: Ability to explore and be on the top of - emerging trends & risks in Food & Beverage Industry; best practices across the TCCC system; relevant information of competition; and Knowledge of Business Partners, their key contacts & their infrastructure / systems, etc.
Skills
Food Microbiology; Product Quality; Process Control; Troubleshooting; Manufacturing; Water Treatments; Stakeholder Management; Food Safety and Sanitation; ISO 9001; Thermal Processing; ISO 22000; Quality Standards; Stakeholder Buy-In; Dairy Technology; Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP); CollaborationAnnual Incentive Reference Value Percentage:15Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.
