Quality And R&D Manager

Job description / Role

Rasan Food Industry (RFI) is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Quality and R&D Manager to lead our Research & Development (R&D) and Quality Assurance functions. The ideal candidate will be responsible for driving innovation, ensuring product quality, and aligning R&D and quality strategies with business objectives. This role requires a strong leader with a deep understanding of food science, quality management systems, and product development processes.

Responsibilities & Authority
Research & Innovation (R&I):
1. Support the team and function to obtain necessary resources from other functions, co-packers, or the group.
2. Lead R&D efforts from ideation to the development of a range of products.
3. Develop prototypes for products based on RFI’s technology and innovation capabilities.
4. Manage multi-disciplinary and multi-site teams to develop multiple products in parallel.
5. Ensure adherence to health and safety guidelines as well as legal obligations.
6. Oversee all product development procedures to identify and address deviations from quality standards.
7. Provide leadership for transverse R&D functions and ensure coherence across all initiatives.
8. Oversee portfolio activities and foster innovation within the organization.
9. Ensure machinability of developed raw and packaging materials and establish firm criteria with suppliers.
10. Ensure timely implementation of projects aligned with marketing and other functions.
11. Maintain the value of products despite productivity improvements.
12. Stay updated with the latest trends in the R&I community and apply relevant updates to RFI’s operations.
13. Deploy RFI’s sustainability goals, including environment-friendly and sustainable packaging, improved supplier quality, and local community health initiatives, across all related KPIs and activities.

Quality:
14. Contribute to and support the food safety team, food defense, and food fraud mitigation efforts.
15. Ensure the necessary resources are available to execute the food safety plan.
16. Take overall responsibility for quality activities across the business.
17. Create and implement best-practice quality vision, strategy, policies, processes, and procedures to improve business performance.
18. Ensure quality strategies and processes meet business objectives and operational needs, enabling RFI to compete effectively in the market.
19. Ensure the cold chain and storage conditions are respected by all stakeholders, including customers.
20. Develop and update the Quality Management System (QMS), including procedures, and train team members as required. 21. Exercise the authority to stop any activity that adversely affects the quality of processes or products.
22. Approve or reject supplier materials based on quality requirements and ensure only conforming materials reach production. 23. Adjust and approve food safety parameters to ensure the establishment of the Food Safety Management System (FSMS). 24. Authorize the recall or withdrawal of non-conforming products.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
1. FPL (First Pass Yield)
2. Loss
3. OE (Operational Efficiency)
4. Consumer Complaints
5. Audit Pass Scores
6. OTIF (On-Time In-Full)
7. Product Change in Design (Launch/Relaunch)
8. Competitor Evaluation

Education:
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Agriculture, Chemistry, or a related field – preferably majoring in Food Science and Technology.

Experience/Knowledge Required:
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in managing Quality and R&D functions in the
food industry.
• Proven experience in launching new or developed products to the market.

Technical Competencies:
• Familiarity with continuous improvement methods and problem-solving tools.
• Ability to prepare and manage CAPEX annual budgets.
• Knowledge of food production processes, equipment, and milk processing (sterilization and pasteurization).
• Proficiency in project execution steps and data analysis (charts, graphs, etc.).
• Full proficiency in ISO standards, Quality Control (QC), and Quality Assurance (QA).
• Fluency in English.

Behavioral Competencies:
• Strong commitment to quality.
• Human-centric approach.
• Inclusive and collaborative mindset.
• Agility in adapting to changes.
• Accountability and decisiveness.
• Courageous with empathy.

Required Trainings:
• Project Management (PMBOK) and MS Project.
• 5S Methodology.
• GHP (Good Hygiene Practices) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Problem-solving tools.
• HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).
• ISO and FSSC22000 5.1.

About the Company

In alignment with our commitment to enhancing the well-being of humanity and actively participating in the process of improving lives, Halabja Group of Companies is embarking on an ambitious endeavor – the construction of the Rasan Food Industry Project. Located in Halabja, this visionary project represents our dedication to catalyzing economic growth, fortifying agriculture, and invigorating the farming sectors in Kurdistan and Iraq.

The primary objective of the Rasan Food Industry is to construct a state-of-the-art facility that will focus on the production of dairy products and fresh juices. Our paramount aim is to provide consumers with healthy, high-quality food options. This project is poised to be one of the largest and most advanced production facilities in the Middle East.