Food Safety & Quality Senior Specialist

Role Objectives: The Food Safety & Quality Senior Specialist is responsible for managing complex quality complaints and investigations, driving root-cause analysis and CAPA implementation, and supporting the effective application of food safety and quality standards across assigned operations. The role monitors quality trends, supports audit readiness, provides technical guidance to Food Safety & Quality Specialists, and partners with Operations, CX, Supplier QA, and other stakeholders to resolve quality issues and drive continuous improvement. Roles & Responsibilities: Complaint Operations & SLA Management: Oversee daily complaint handling workflows, ensuring all customer and supplier quality issues are logged, tracked, and resolved within established SLAs. Distribute cases among team members, validate investigation outcomes before closure, and maintain transparent communications with Customer Experience (CX) teams on ticketing platforms (e.g., Freshdesk). Initiate and coordinate product holds, deductions, or quarantine actions for confirmed or high-risk quality defects in line with approved procedures. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) & CAPA System Ownership: Lead in-depth investigations into complex product defects, non-conformities, customer escalations, and operational incidents. Utilize advanced RCA tools (5 Whys, Fishbone, FMEA) to pinpoint true root causes across manufacturing, equipment, raw materials, or handling. Design, implement, and track CAPA plans, evaluating their long-term effectiveness to prevent issue recurrence and drive down complaint rates. Quality Systems, HACCP & Compliance Enforcement: Implement, maintain, and support the continuous improvement of quality standards, HACCP plans, and GMP guidelines across assigned operations. Oversee inspection protocols for incoming raw materials, in-process goods, and outbound finished products. Ensure strict compliance with internal quality specifications and external regulatory frameworks (ISO 22000, ISO 9001, FSSC). Lead audit readiness efforts and participate in regulatory and third-party quality audits. Data Analytics, KPIs & Executive Reporting: Perform advanced trend analysis on complaint metrics, defect rates, and operational quality data to identify systemic vulnerabilities. Build and maintain analytical dashboards, preparing executive reports on CAPA status, SLA compliance, and food safety performance. Technical Coaching & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Provide technical coaching, guidance, and mentoring to Food safety & Quality specialists on investigation methodology, RCA, and reporting standards. Collaborate closely with Facility Operations, Fulfillment points (FP), Warehouse, Supplier QA, and CX teams to streamline workflows, resolve escalations, and update SOPs Required Education, Knowledge, And Skills: Education: Bachelor’s degree in quality management, Food Science, Veterinary Medicine, Chemistry, Bio- Sciences, Engineering, or Business Administration, Certifications such as ISO 9001, ISO 22000, Six Sigma, or ASQ are strongly preferred. Experience: 3–5 years of progressive experience in quality assurance, quality control, complaint management, or CAPA investigations within manufacturing, F&B, coffee operations, or retail FMCG. Technical Expertise: In-depth expertise in Food Safety & Quality Management Systems (GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, ISO 9001, FDA regulations) and handling regulatory audits, Strong understanding of private label product standards and raw material inspection protocols. RCA & Tools: Strong proficiency in Root Cause Analysis methodologies, including 5 Whys, Fishbone, and FMEA. Core Competencies: Strong leadership, technical coaching, negotiation, and cross-functional project management skills. Excellent written and verbal communication, analytical mindset, meticulous detail orientation, and time management. Show more Show less