Senior Manager: Food Safety and Quality Assurance SA & WECA - Isando Plant Snacks at PepsiCo

Responsibilities

What we’re looking for:

Lead the regional Food safety and Quality Assurance function in SAWECA (Food and Beverages) by ensuring Food safety and Quality by design for all new innovations, while delivering the right specifications that are fit for purpose and consumer relevant. This role will need to establish comprehensive and sustainable programs that drive capability and quality throughout the supply chain. Complementing the objectives of building quality and food safety into systems and processes, a critical aspect of this role will be to create, implement and monitor necessary quality and food safety metrics to provide needed oversight and governance. Key metric of this role is to ensure on the ground support as and when required to prevent any food safety and quality recalls/withdrawals by providing end to end governance across SAWECA business unit.

This is leadership role responsible for creating culture of Food Safety & Quality, mentor teams drive compliance and create strategic presence in AMESA

• Provide FSQA leadership to SAWECA BU Foods & Beverages Category, including leading/partnering with a team to effectively deliver the aligned AOP Agenda and Long-term strategic initiatives.
• Drive continual improvement to Quality Food Safety KPIs End to End Supply Chain in partnership with QC team.
• Lead Food safety and Quality standards, including expectations for microbiological performance, allergens, foreign material control, chemical contamination, regulatory compliance, and HACCP programs, Quality metrices including Competitive quality assurance, GFSI audits, AIBI audits and QAS audits.
• Lead and coordinate FSQA due diligence drive incident management where required across the relevant key stakeholders through effective implementation of the Incident management program using IRIS and other tools as applicable.
• Effectively support the regional product and package innovation agenda by ensuring standards and process are adhered from design to commercialization through programs TSG linked tools incl. GIB, PCC and FSHA.
• For complex innovations, provide needed technical support at plant level to ensure start-up readiness and develop quality system and testing protocols/methods which should be applied for new product introductions as well as follow through post launch through in-market programs incl. hyper care.
• Lead in developing risk-mitigating strategies along with other groups (Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, R&D) to properly manage resources in addressing critical food safety issues. Ensure Food hazard assessments, HTDs of all R&D projects working cooperatively with relevant R&D stakeholders as well as relevant SMEs where required.
• Provide FSQA leadership drive seamless integration of Mergers & Acquisitions, 3PM qualifications in BU. Collaborate with Supply Chain and R&D from design to deployment of new business avenues in sector.
• To facilitate continuous FSQA improvements in the region through implementation of QMS and audit programs and ensuring needed corrective actions to non-compliances in quality and food safety audits have been implemented, and that the systems and processes that are in place are being adhered to by SC (QC).
• Advocate execution of global programs at BU and drive role of FSQA connector to Business Unit and Global functions.
• Attract, develop, and retain high caliber talent to achieve 'best-in-class' food safety, quality and regulatory systems and assure that the functional services are provided as required for the company's current and expanding needs.
• Models and acts in accordance with PEP Global Code of Conduct and Global PepsiCo Way guiding principles.

Qualifications

What will qualify you for the role:

• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering or equivalent (Master’s degree would be a plus).
• 15-18 years in Quality and Food Safety having supported manufacturing facilities and R&D product developers across food & beverages and across multiple geographies.
• Understanding on local SAWECA Food Regulations
• Experience of presenting to and influencing stakeholders on Foods Safety regulations, risk mitigation and solutions
• Subject matter expert on Quality, food safety, audit regulations, trends, tools, and programs.
• Experience with wet/dry manufacturing processes and microbiologically sensitive food manufacturing facilities.
• Extensive knowledge and implementation experience with food safety control programs.
• Written and oral fluency in English
• Experience in food testing protocols, methodologies, and microbiological issues in food.
• Ability to travel 40% or more.
• High level of business acumen, strong communication, leadership composure, and influencing skills to drive global food safety transformation.
• Extensive experience in dealing with food safety recalls and product quality withdrawals, including leading crisis teams, mobilizing plant investigations, interpreting microbiological, chemical contamination, allergen contamination and foreign material risks and managing internal and external stakeholders, including Regulators.
• Excellent business acumen and analytical capability to evaluate activities that will contribute to the achievement of strategic goals.
• A credible and respected change agent in an organization experiencing ambiguity, rapid growth and transformation.
• Ability to lead a team through crisis maintaining professionalism and composure while managing through difficult situations.