Jaggery Quality Assurance Officer Job Tana River Sugar Bura, Kenya

Job description

Role Summary

The Jaggery Quality Assurance Officer is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining quality assurance and food safety systems for the Company’s jaggery processing operations. The role ensures that all raw materials, in-process production activities, and finished jaggery products consistently meet established quality, food safety, and regulatory standards. The incumbent will oversee quality inspections, laboratory testing, hygiene compliance, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives to deliver safe, high-quality jaggery products.

Key Responsibilities

• Quality Assurance Management: Develop, implement, and continuously improve quality assurance systems and inspection procedures for raw materials, in-process production, and finished jaggery products to ensure compliance with established quality specifications. Investigate quality deviations, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions to enhance product consistency and operational performance.
• Product Inspection & Laboratory Testing: Conduct routine inspections and laboratory testing of sugarcane, extracted juice, processing stages, and finished products by monitoring critical quality parameters including moisture content, Brix, pH, colour, texture, purity, and taste. Verify compliance with product specifications and recommend product acceptance, rework, or rejection based on quality assessment results.
• Food Safety & Hygiene Compliance: Implement and monitor Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), sanitation programmes, and food safety procedures throughout the processing facility. Conduct routine hygiene inspections of personnel, equipment, and processing areas while supporting the implementation of HACCP principles and ensuring compliance with applicable food safety regulations.
• Process Monitoring & Equipment Calibration: Monitor critical control points throughout the production process to ensure consistent product quality and process stability. Maintain, calibrate, and verify laboratory testing equipment and analyse quality data to recommend appropriate process adjustments and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Documentation & Regulatory Compliance: Maintain accurate quality assurance records, laboratory reports, inspection records, calibration certificates, traceability documentation, and audit reports. Prepare periodic quality reports and ensure compliance with company policies, food safety regulations, statutory requirements, and certification standards.
• Internal Audits & Continuous Improvement: Plan and conduct internal quality and food safety audits, coordinate external inspections, investigate customer complaints and product non-conformities, and implement corrective and preventive actions. Drive continuous improvement programmes aimed at reducing defects, minimizing waste, improving product consistency, and strengthening quality management systems.
• Training & Capacity Building: Train, mentor, and support production personnel on quality assurance procedures, food safety requirements, hygiene standards, laboratory practices, documentation, and quality control techniques. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and quality excellence across the jaggery processing operation.
• Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Compliance: Promote compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental requirements by ensuring safe laboratory practices, proper handling of testing equipment and chemicals, effective use of personal protective equipment (PPE), participation in workplace risk assessments and incident investigations, and environmentally responsible disposal of laboratory and production waste.

Qualification, skills and Competencies

• Education: Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and Technology, Food Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Applied Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Sugar Technology, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field. Professional training or certification in Food Safety Management Systems, HACCP, ISO 22000, or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) will be an added advantage.
• Experience: Minimum of three (3) years’ hands-on experience in quality assurance, quality control, laboratory operations, or food safety management within the food processing, sugar, beverage, or agro-processing industry. Experience in jaggery (non-centrifugal sugar) processing or sugar manufacturing is highly desirable.
• Technical Skills: Sound knowledge of food quality management systems, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), HACCP principles, food safety regulations, laboratory testing techniques, product inspection procedures, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) management, quality documentation, internal auditing, statistical quality control, and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Behavioural Competencies: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail, high integrity and accountability, effective communication and interpersonal skills, sound planning and organizational ability, teamwork and collaboration, decision-making capability, commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to work effectively under pressure while maintaining high standards of food safety and product quality.
• Additional Requirements: Willingness to reside and work at TRSC Farm in Bura, Tana River County; flexibility to work extended hours during peak production periods; commitment to maintaining the highest standards of food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. Membership or eligibility for membership in a relevant professional body will be an added advantage.

How to Apply

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