Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Position: Manager, Food Safety  and Quality Assurance
Location: Nairobi
Department: Operations
Reporting to: Senior Manager, Food Safety  and  Quality Assurance
Direct Reports: Food Safety Associate(s)


About Food4Education
Hungry kids can’t learn or grow.

Food4Education is an award-winning, locally rooted, and African-led solution to end classroom hunger.
Building on more than a decade of learning by doing, we’re powering a new school feeding industry and sharing our blueprint to scale sustainable, nutritious, and affordable school feeding programs across Africa.

Today, we serve 700,000 kids DAILY in Kenya. But every day, we deliver more than a meal – improving nutrition and education outcomes for children while also creating jobs and opportunities for whole communities.

We are an experienced and trusted non-profit partner that operates with the excellence of a global business, reinvesting the value we create into local economies.

To learn more, please visit www.food4education.org   

Our Values
At Food for Education, our values are guiding principles that provide us with purpose and direction and set the tone for our interactions with all stakeholders:

• Build with excellence and curiosity  - We’re not afraid to try new things and iterate as much as we can to find the best and most efficient way to get results; 
• Be the change you seek - We acknowledge that continuous improvement is a shared responsibility; 
• We do what we say; and say what we do - We embrace an ownership mentality;
• Ask why; and commit - Share openly and question respectfully and commit fully. When we understand the why, we are able to work with a purpose.

Role Overview
The Manager, Food Safety & Quality Assurance is responsible for the operational leadership and day-to-day management of food safety and quality assurance across assigned regions/clusters. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Food Safety  and Quality Assurance, this role translates organizational food safety strategy into consistent operational execution, manages a team of Food Safety Associates, drives implementation of the Food Safety Management System (FSMS), oversees audits and certification readiness, and leads incident management and continuous improvement across their area of responsibility.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Team Leadership and  People Management

• Manage, coach and develop a team of Food Safety Associates across assigned regions/clusters, ensuring consistent performance, capability and accountability.
• Set performance goals for direct reports, conduct regular check-ins and performance reviews, and identify training and development needs.
• Build bench strength and succession plans within the food safety team.
• Champion and reinforce a strong food safety culture across regions through visible, hands-on leadership.

FSMS Implementation  and Operational Management

• Drive operational implementation of the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) across all assigned clusters, in line with the strategy and standards set by the Senior Manager
• Oversee execution of HACCP plans, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and prerequisite programmes (PRPs) across operations.
• Identify gaps or inconsistencies in FSMS implementation and direct corrective action through the Food Safety Associates.

Quality Assurance and  Operational Food Safety

• Oversee quality control standards for raw materials, production processes and final products across assigned regions.
• Review inspection, verification and audit findings escalated by Associates and direct appropriate action.
• Approve corrective and preventive action plans for significant non-conformities and escalate high-risk or unresolved issues to the Senior Manager.

Audit, Verification and  Certification Support

• Lead internal audit schedules across assigned regions and ensure timely closure of findings.
• Support external audits, regulatory inspections and certification assessments (ISO, HACCP and related standards), coordinating documentation and evidence with Associates.
• Ensure sampling, verification and traceability programmes are executed as planned across all clusters.

Incident and  Risk Management

• Oversee investigation and root cause analysis of food safety incidents and non-conformities within assigned regions.
• Monitor implementation, effectiveness and closure of corrective and preventive actions across clusters.
• Escalate high-risk or unresolved food safety issues to the Senior Manager in a timely manner.

Reporting and  Continuous Improvement

• Consolidate performance data, verification results and inspection findings submitted by Associates into regional and organizational reports.
• Present food safety performance trends, risks and improvement recommendations to the Senior Manager.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within assigned regions, based on data trends and identified risks.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the key link between Food Safety Associates and the Senior Manager, ensuring alignment between strategy and operational execution.
• Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement and Lab teams to resolve cross-functional food safety and quality issues.
• Support the design and rollout of food safety training programmes across regions.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology, Microbiology, Public Health or a related scientific discipline; a Master's degree or relevant certifications (e.g., HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC) is an added advantage.
• Minimum of five (5) years' relevant experience in food safety, quality assurance or quality control within the FMCG or food manufacturing industry, with at least two (2) years in a supervisory or team leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated knowledge and practical experience implementing and maintaining ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and HACCP principles.
• Demonstrated experience managing food safety operations across multiple sites, clusters or regions.
• Proven experience leading internal audits and supporting external/regulatory audits and certification processes.
• Strong people management, coaching, mentoring and team development skills.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and technical report-writing skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic operational environment.

We are an equal-opportunity employer
We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and people are supported to do their best work. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and lived experiences and make employment decisions based on merit, potential, and alignment with our values.

Career Growth and Development
We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You will have weekly check-ins with your manager, 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 will have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding, long-term career.

We aim to contact all our applicants, but due to the high volume of applications only short-listed candidates are contacted. If you do not hear from us within two weeks your application might not be successful on this occasion. This does not mean you will not be considered for future roles so please keep an eye on our job board and apply for positions that match your skills and experience.