Senior Laboratory Analyst (QA) at Cam Dairy Foods Limited

Cam is a Nigerian dairy company that aggregates raw milk from settled pastoralist communities and processes it into nutritious dairy products.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Laboratory Analyst (QA)

Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full time

Job Description

• We are looking for a motivated scientist with a passion for food and manufacturing and cutting-edge science and technology.
• The ideal candidate is an individual with a dogged attention to detail, processes, procedures and rules and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Manage, enforce, and maintain the company Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, the Operating Quality and Food Safety Manuals and relevant procedures.
• Develop and maintain competences to ensure quality awareness and food safety culture in the factory, MACs and Field
• Manage the Food Safety team, ensuring establishment, update, and adequate implementation of HACCP / TACCP / VACCP
• Implement and monitor all quality and food safety programs including: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HACCP, Good Laboratory Practices, Preventative Maintenance, Cleaning and Sanitation, Environmental Sampling and Pest Control
• Monitor production operations to ensure compliance including: traceability, products to be shipped, process control, and sanitary conditions within the factory, MACs and Field
• Manage and report Quality KPIs and internal audit program, assessing the performance of the Quality System, reporting its effectiveness to the Management, and promoting corrective and preventative measures towards continuous improvement.
• Lead consumer and customer complaints investigations ensuring root cause analysis and effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Apply Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods for analyzing data to evaluate the current process and process changes.
• Supervise the site’s Integrated Pest Management program and ensuring its correct implementation.
• Coordinate and lead related audits and inspections by customers, and certification and regulatory bodies.
• Support upstream quality assurance initiatives to ensure that all suppliers (of milk and packaging materials) meet Câm Dairies specifications in a consistent manner
• Ensure that raw materials and products meet standards set by the company, state and federal government agencies, as well as other relevant regulatory bodies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
• Ensure raw milk and finished product quality standards are understood and met by training dairy farmers, other milk vendors, handlers and relevant team members
• Provide accurate reports and test findings to appropriate team members and departments in a timely manner and advise on corrective actions or adjustments where required
• Record all test data and analyses on appropriate log sheets, then enter the data in an approved QA database
• Oversee the investigation of any products that do not meet standards and/or specifications and ensure corrective actions are implemented
• Ensure finished products are sampled, tested and meet specifications before release to customers
• Work with regulatory inspectors, auditors, customer representatives and other relevant stakeholders as required
• Monitor and report on laboratory inventories, replenish chemicals, lab equipment and tools as needed
• Maintain a clean, orderly and safe workplace
• Conduct lab equipment calibrations
• Provide technical support to customers, process and other relevant team members
• Assist Factory Manager in research and development of new products to meet customer demand
• Properly setup, operate and run all of the laboratory equipment
• Define, implement, and verify the effectiveness of the prerequisite programmes related to hygiene, including but not limited to zoning, pest control, cleaning validation & verification, pathogen monitoring, foreign body prevention, and hygiene & housekeeping
• Support production teams in ensuring GMP standards are adhered to. Own the site's GMP improvement list and prioritise the areas in which the GMP budget will be spent
• Support engineering projects by conducting risk assessments and providing advice about cleanability, hygienic design, and site standards on equipment design and plant layout
• Support the maintenance and industrial services teams and service providers by providing technical support for programs such as contamination risks from maintenance activities, closed water loop compliance etc.
• Participate in the factory's internal audit programme: lead GMP audit completion, and participate in HACCP reviews
• Ensure the performance of structured root cause analysis after incidents related to hygiene failures have occurred
• Collaborate with other team members in the development of the factory’s SOPs and be the documents' custodian.
• Own and deliver training related to housekeeping and hygiene, as required
• Other duties deemed necessary by the Factory Manager.

Role Requirements

• Minimum of HND, Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Food Science / Technology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience in the food manufacturing within a Quality Assurance role
• Experience in Dairy is an advantage.
• Candidate must be IPAN (Institute of Public Analyst of Nigeria) certified or plan to be certified within a year
• Minimum of 3 years lab experience preferably in food/pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Knowledge in handling chemicals, titration chemistry, plating methods and basic mathematics
• Experience in Food certification process
• Proficiency in Non-Conformity Management.
• General knowledge in laboratory instrumentations
• Good knowledge of Quality Management Systems, food safety /HACCP, food microbiology, foreign body prevention, etc.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Knowledge/training in food safety programs, microbiological and sanitation concepts.

Skills and Attributes:

• Passion for the food industry
• A continuous improvement mindset
• Pragmatic and self-starter
• Strong organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to deliver results in a fast-paced environment, under pressure with little or no supervision.
• Able to analyse problems, detect root causes and proffer corrective and preventive actions to resolve issues. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Can learn quickly and work independently
• Great interpersonal skills
• Keen observer and monitor of scientific trends and new technologies in food and manufacturing
• Analytic mind with strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a diverse, team-based environment
• Ability to firmly adhere to Câm’s values
• Consistent attention to detail
• Ability to lead, develop and motivate a team
• Extremely organised with an ability to prioritise, multitask and meet tight deadlines.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.