QA & QC Head

Job Title: Head – Quality

Level: GM/ DGM/ AGM

Location: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

Reporting To: Vice President – Operations

Industry: Food Ingredients Manufacturing

Role Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and technically strong Quality Leader to head the Quality function at our manufacturing facility in Gwalior. This is a senior-level role with broad ownership across the quality spectrum—from raw material to finished goods—and close operational alignment with the VP–Operations. The position demands not only technical rigor, but also the leadership depth to influence upstream and downstream teams and serve as a key pillar of operational stability. The ideal candidate will bring a bias for error prevention, not just detection, and demonstrate the capability to design and institutionalize quality systems that are predictive, integrated, and scalable. A strong academic background and practical experience in food-grade manufacturing are essential.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Preventive Quality System Design

• Establish and institutionalize quality systems that prioritize defect prevention at source, rather than downstream detection.
• Develop and implement quality assurance protocols across procurement, production, packaging, and storage stages.
• Drive system readiness for internal and external audits, with minimal firefighting or corrective interventions.

2. Raw Material & Supplier Quality Management

• Define specifications and pre-approval mechanisms for all raw and packaging materials.
• Collaborate with Procurement to vet suppliers through quality audits and track ongoing adherence to parameters.
• Establish sampling and testing norms to minimize rejection or contamination risks at input stage.

3. In-Process and Finished Goods Quality Control

• Implement stage-gate quality checks throughout the production cycle.
• Monitor product conformity to defined physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters.
• Anchor root cause analyses for deviations, with an emphasis on CAPA measures that close feedback loops upstream.

4. Storage & Distribution Quality Oversight

• Define and monitor norms related to storage temperature, humidity, stacking heights, shelf-life, and hygiene across internal warehouses and channel partner locations.
• Conduct preventive audits across distribution points to ensure product integrity till point of sale or use.

5. Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead the QA/QC team and drive a culture of ownership, discipline, and proactive quality management.
• Coach plant and warehouse teams on quality SOPs, documentation hygiene, and preventive actions.
• Play a consultative role to cross-functional leaders on quality implications of operational or product changes.

6. Regulatory & Customer Compliance

• Ensure compliance with FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000 and other relevant certifications.
• Act as the nodal point for customer complaints related to quality; drive RCA and preventive action with credibility.
• Ensure readiness for all external audits, regulatory inspections, and customer visits.

7. Data Tracking, Analytics & Reporting

• Define and monitor key quality metrics—rejection rates, deviations, customer complaints, audit findings.
• Analyse trends and lead structured problem-solving initiatives across functions.

Qualifications & Experience:

Educational Background:

• B.Tech / B.E. in Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines.
• A Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Food Technology or related fields is preferred.

Experience:

• 12–18 years of experience in food ingredients, bakery, dairy, or allied industries, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior quality leadership role in a manufacturing setup.

Technical Expertise:

• Strong grounding in FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000, and related standards.
• Hands-on experience with audits, lab testing, process validation, and supplier quality programs.
• Familiarity with product development, shelf-life studies, and labelling/regulatory guidelines is an advantage.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: ₹3,000,000.00 - ₹3,500,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Provident Fund

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental Pay:

• Performance bonus
• Yearly bonus

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Education:

• Master's (Required)

Experience:

• food ingredients, bakery, dairy, or allied industries: 10 years (Required)
• Leadership: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Expected Start Date: 01/09/2025