About the Role

Al Safi Danone is seeking a Quality in Operation Manager to join its team in Al Kharj, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role is central to leading the implementation of an integrated management system, encompassing Food Safety, Quality, and Hygiene, across downstream operations. The manager will drive overall performance improvement and cultivate a strong quality mindset within the plant.

Operational Quality Management

The Quality in Operation Manager will oversee daily quality operations and drive continuous improvement initiatives. Key responsibilities include:

• Participating in daily performance review meetings (Short Interval Management) and resolving non-conformities with Quality Engineers.
• Organizing and managing Problem-Solving Groups (PSG) to address quality issues across the plant, utilizing the PDCA methodology for critical problems.
• Identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in systems, processes, and practices, incorporating international best practices to enhance business processes, cost efficiency, and productivity.
• Validating all quality aspects of projects in coordination with the Quality Assurance Section to ensure adherence to quality standards.
• Ensuring the implementation of quality standards (online quality checks, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSI, sampling plans) with Quality Engineers.
• Promoting Risk Assessment and "Built-in Quality" in all plant projects, including productivity, new products, and new equipment.
• Recommending improvements or developing quality standards for standard operating procedures.
• Ensuring downstream operations (branches, warehouses, and GCC) receive support for quality requirements and maintain necessary quality standards, including proper market store checks.

Compliance and Consumer Relations

This role involves direct oversight of specific quality and compliance programs, ensuring adherence to internal and external standards, and managing consumer feedback:

• Developing and managing the Neptune/Triton audit plan according to guidelines, ensuring its implementation and follow-up, and reviewing the closure of all findings.
• Developing and managing proper tracking for all consumer complaints, monitoring the complaint closure rate, and ensuring the implementation of action plans.
• Participating in the investigation of all consumer complaints and analyzing them by number, type, and trends to recommend improvements.
• Following up and closing GCC consumer complaints.

Team Leadership and Governance

The manager will play a crucial role in team development, operational excellence, and ensuring effective communication and reporting:

• Participating in and encouraging involvement in operational excellence programs through implemented improvement initiatives.
• Providing formal and informal feedback to subordinates to ensure their continuous development.
• Organizing training sessions and coaching plant teams, particularly First Line Managers and Quality Engineers, on daily quality management, food safety, and problem-solving.
• Implementing approved departmental policies, processes, and procedures to ensure controlled work execution.
• Ensuring that all departmental reports are prepared in a timely and accurate manner, meeting company and department requirements.

Safety and Environmental Standards

The role operates within a framework that prioritizes safety, quality, and environmental responsibility:

• Reporting near misses and safety risks promptly through safety tags.
• Ensuring LOTO (Lockout/Tagout) application during troubleshooting and plant activities for routine and non-routine tasks.
• Ensuring daily compliance with GMP, personal hygiene, housekeeping, equipment cleaning, floor cleaning, zoning, and 5S standards.
• Adhering to all Food Safety System standards and complying with all relevant safety, quality, and environmental management policies, procedures, and controls.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates for this position should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• A minimum of 5-10 years of relevant experience in quality management within an operational environment.