Senior Manager / Manager – Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA/QC)

Position Summary

Agro Snow Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is seeking an experienced and hands-on QA/QC leader to establish and lead the Quality Assurance and Quality Control function for our new food ingredient manufacturing facility. This role is critical in supporting the start-up and commissioning phase of the plant by developing quality systems from the ground up, obtaining food safety certifications, building the QA/QC team, and ensuring readiness for commercial operations.

The ideal candidate must have proven experience in a greenfield/start-up food manufacturing environment , preferably within food ingredients, dairy ingredients, plant protein, or spray drying operations.

Key Responsibilities

Greenfield / Start-up Responsibilities

•

Lead the establishment of the QA/QC department for a new food manufacturing facility.

•

Develop and implement QA/QC strategies, policies, SOPs, specifications, forms, and documentation from scratch.

•

Support plant commissioning, equipment qualification, trial runs, and commercial start-up activities.

•

Establish laboratory operations, testing programs, and analytical procedures.

•

Develop quality standards and specifications for raw materials, packaging materials, intermediates, and finished products.

•

Build, recruit, train, and lead the QA/QC team.

Food Safety & Certification

•

Lead the initial implementation and certification of

•

FSSC 22000

•

HACCP

•

Halal

•

Kosher

•

GMP

•

GACC

•

FDA

•

Act as the Food Safety Team Leader.

•

Prepare the facility for first-time customer, regulatory, and certification audits.

•

Maintain documentation and compliance requirements throughout the start-up phase.

Quality Operations

•

Establish incoming, in-process, and finished product inspection programs.

•

Oversee laboratory testing activities including microbiological and physicochemical analyses.

•

Ensure implementation and verification of CCPs, OPRPs, and food safety controls.

•

Lead investigations involving non-conformances, deviations, customer complaints, and CAPA activities.

•

Conduct root cause analysis and implement preventive actions.

Audit & Regulatory Compliance

•

Coordinate and lead internal, supplier, customer, certification, and regulatory audits.

•

Liaise with certification bodies, government authorities, customers, and external laboratories.

•

Ensure compliance with applicable Malaysian and international food regulations.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

•

Lead and mentor a QA/QC team comprising QA Executives, Food Safety personnel, and Laboratory Technicians.

•

Monitor departmental KPIs and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

•

Collaborate closely with Production, Engineering, R&D, Procurement, Warehouse, and Supply Chain teams.

•

Promote a strong quality and food safety culture across the organisation.

Requirements

Education

•

Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, or a related discipline.

•

Master's degree will be an added advantage.

Experience

•

Minimum 10–15 years of experience in food manufacturing quality functions.

•

Minimum 3–5 years in a managerial role leading QA/QC teams .

•

Proven involvement in at least one greenfield/start-up food manufacturing project .

•

Hands-on experience establishing QA systems and documentation from the beginning.

•

Experience obtaining first-time FSSC 22000 certification is mandatory.

•

Experience in Halal and Kosher certification implementation is highly preferred.

•

Prior experience in food ingredients, dairy ingredients, plant protein, spray drying, or related sectors will be a strong advantage.

Technical Competencies

•

FSSC 22000

•

HACCP

•

Halal Certification

•

Kosher Certification

•

GMP

•

Internal & External Auditing

•

CAPA and Root Cause Analysis

•

Laboratory Management

•

Food Safety Team Leadership

•

Supplier Quality Management

•

Customer Complaint Investigation

•

Risk Assessment and Food Safety Compliance

Leadership Requirements

•

Must currently hold or have most recently held the position of QA/QC Manager, Senior QA/QC Manager, or equivalent.

•

Demonstrated experience managing a team of at least 3–4 direct reports , including QA personnel and laboratory staff.

•

Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

•

Able to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment and work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Experience

•

Food ingredient manufacturing.

•

Dairy ingredient processing.

•

Plant protein processing.

•

Spray drying operations.

•

Export-oriented manufacturing environments.

•

Multinational company exposure.