Quality Assurance Specialist

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Our Kenya program, founded in 2006, operates under the local brand Tupande. Close to 500 staff in our Kakamega headquarters support 1,747 field staff and serve more than 1 million farmers. In Nairobi, around 50 staff support global functions like procurement, recruitment, government relations, and communications

About the Role

Seeking an experienced food safety professional with 5+ years in food manufacturing to lead our Food Safety Management System and BRCGS/FSSC certification, opening the premium export markets that raise the price farmers earn for their macadamia.

Premium export markets only buy from certified suppliers. This role owns the Food Safety Management System behind our BRCGS and FSSC certification. Hold it, and we reach higher-value markets that raise the price farmers earn for their macadamia.

You lead the food safety team: review shift records, check CCPs and monitoring, and walk the floor from receiving to packing. You close audit findings, drive corrective actions, investigate issues to root cause, coach your team, and prepare for audits.

Responsibilities

Appointed as Food Safety Team Leader, responsible for;

• Ensuring the FSMS is established, implemented, maintained and updated;Managing and organizing the work of the food safety team;
• Ensuring relevant training and competencies for the food safety team
• Reporting to top management on the effectiveness and suitability of the FSMS.
• To manage the food safety team and organize its work.
• To ensure relevant training and education of the food safety team members.
• To ensure that the food safety management is established, implemented, maintained, and updated.
• Ensure that information on internal communication is included in the updating of the Food Safety Management System,
• Verification of the accuracy of the flow diagrams by on-site checking,
• Maintaining records of verified flow diagrams, corrections, and corrective actions
• Conduct a hazard analysis to determine which hazards need to be controlled, the degree of control required to ensure food safety, and which combination of control measures is required,
• Analysis of the results of the verification activities,
• Plan and implement the processes needed to validate control measures and/or control measure combinations, and to verify and improve the Food Safety Management System,
• Systematically evaluate the individual results of planned verification,
• Analyse the results of verification activities, including the results of the internal audits and external audits,
• Evaluate the Food Safety Management System at planned intervals and to report to top management on the effectiveness and suitability of the FSMS.

Ensure 100% maintenance requirements of both FSMS (BRC & FSSC) and other legislation requirements (Kosher, Halal & Kephis) in the next six months.

• Communication of FSMS objectives, tracking of their achievements.
• Effective communication of food safety related issues & recommendations to top management.
• Ensure proper monitoring of FSMS related controls such as CCP, OPRP monitoring, verification of PRP programs to ensure compliance.
• Timely closure of raised gaps/NCRs from both internal and external audits conducted for the FSMS

Ensure capacity building for QA & EA for raw material receiving and factory processes to ensure we are able to source NIS of at least 75% by the end of 2025

• Training on quality processes from sampling to analysis.
• Efficient feedback loop for both teams to ensure implementation of optimal QC processes that help achieve highest possible NIS quality.

Ensure 100% support to processing operations to realize a final product packed complies to statutory, customer & organizational requirements in the next six months.

• Update changes on requirements by interested stakeholders.
• Spearheading food safety culture through increased awareness on food safety requirements for all staff.
• Manage Product analysis against requirements.
• Manage Swabs & personnel hygiene analysis (Environmental monitoring)
• Ensure 100% compliance to factory bi-weekly meetings, timely escalation of issues & recommendations to processing lead.
• Ensure 100% sync with department heads to enhance collaboration, work in the factory.
• Optimization, planning of deliverables and cost cutting measures for the unit.
• Implement drying controls and Ensure that there is 20MT NIS available for cracking every day.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You'll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You'll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

Technical skills:

• Minimum academic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in food science.
• Knowledge of quality standards: Must have ISO 22000 experience, HACCP, FSSC 20000, BRCGS.
• Attention to detail: Ensures all your tasks are completed to the business’ specifications. 
• Problem-solving: Establish root cause and find solutions to meet the required quality standards and customer requirements.
• Analytical skills: Have the ability to identify a problem, investigate to find out relevant facts, and find a logical solution. 
• Written and verbal communication: Strong verbal communication skills can help you explain ways to improve processes to other people so they can achieve set quality standards.
• Ability to work as part of a team: Teamwork champion for team work to to help all departments implement FSMS.
• Time management: Ensures you have adequate time to complete your tasks to the desired quality standard, then confirm they comply with specifications.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Sagana, Kenya

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off

Contract Duration

2 years

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Kenya.

Application Deadline

26 December 2026. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here ([email protected]), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization's mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.