Compliance Officer at Vector Logistics

Overview

• We are a Supply Chain and Sales & Merchandising partner adding value to your business through a fully integrated, temperature-controlled network in Southern Africa.
• But we are also more than that. We are people serving people. While we boast the best in tech and infrastructure, our people are our greatest resource. With our skilled, curious, can-do people at the forefront, our assets become your assets, our service your solutions.
• Vector’s vehicle fleet includes a food industry first in ‘multi-temperature’ vehicles enabling the company to service business across frozen, chilled and ambient temperature zones on a single delivery.

Job Purpose

• To effectively work and communicate with the Operations management to continuously improve standards.
• To plan, develop and implement techniques, processes and procedures for controlling the desired level of quality for all goods stored and supplied by the region/site.
• To coordinate with principals and suppliers, warehouse and transport management and customers to resolve quality and food safety issues.
• To ensure compliance to all company and group policies and standards affecting food quality and safety

Key Responsibilities

Legislative and Policy Compliance

• Ensure compliance with the Food Safety legislation and regulations.
• Ensure the region and sites has have the current Vector quality and food safety standards and procedures in place.
• Ensure documentation completion and submission requirements are adhered to.
• Ensure all internal policies are aligned to legislative requirements and best practice.
• Update quality policy and procedures checklists.

Operational Compliance Support and Auditing

• Conduct warehouse and transport compliance audits.
• Provide feedback to the Operations Management and SHREQ SHEQ management regarding (internal and external) audit outcomes and compliance.
• Drive the QA strategy with the broader regional team.
• Implement and maintain quality tools to ensure quality control and compliance.
• Provide management and staff training on specialist fields like food safety, HACCP and temperature monitoring.
• Coordinate external audits in all the region’s distribution centres.
• Coordinate 3rd party audits by customers for the region.
• Ensure that all traceability and recalls procedures are followed.
• Implement, administer, monitor and maintain the warehouse food safety programme and the associated documentation.
• Maintain the HACCP system and other safety information and documentation on a daily basis.
• Formulate sampling procedures and designs, and develop forms and instructions for recording, evaluating, and reporting quality and reliability data.
• Utilise statistical data techniques to monitor Operational compliance.
• Establish and monitor packaging, transportation and warehousing standards.
• Ensure continuous improvement with suppliers, packaging, storage and transportation standards.
• Take all necessary steps to control potentially unsafe or poor quality product.
• Work closely with Operations Manager and employees to ensure conformance to company standards to assure process compliance, food safety, and product quality.
• Verify critical control point procedures and parameters for completion as per the established food safety programme.
• Investigate quality concerns with customers and suppliers, resolve and follow up corrective measures.
• Accompany inspectors during on-site inspections and respond to regulatory non-compliance and to the best of ability mitigate or limit any inspection violations. Effectively manage corrective action processes to comply with regulatory requirements to identify cause, address problems, restore control, evaluate and monitor processes, modify procedures or improve the food safety system, and prevent recurrences.
• Verify completion of food safety paperwork completed by the Operations team - temperature logs, shelf life - and review for acceptability.
• Monitor structural and equipment defects that may create quality and food safety deficiencies or non-compliance and coordinate resolution with Operations and Maintenance.

Communication and Reporting

• Analyse data, develop leading indicators, determine trends and produce and present required reports to advise management accordingly.
• Engage with external bodies (e.g. Department of Health and service providers) with regards compliance requirements and best practice.
•  Complete a monthly management report for each operating area.

Incident Investigation

• Conduct post incident investigations in order to identify root causes and determine appropriate preventative and corrective action.
• Seek continual improvement in food safety by regularly monitoring regional and site activities and assess the implications of any new developments.
• Analyse and investigate customer complaints. Facilitate interventions to address the problem and monitor improvements.

Effective Teamwork and Self-Management

• Take ownership and accountability for tasks and activities and demonstrate effective self-management in terms of planning and prioritising, and self-development.
• Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of work are consistently and accurately maintained.
• Inform relevant parties in the event of tasks or deadlines not met, the potential risks thereof and provide appropriate resolution.
• Manage colleagues and employees’ expectations and communicate appropriately.
• Demonstrate willingness to help others and “go the extra mile” to meet team targets and objectives.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Operations
• National SHEQ teams
• Customer Team (on queries)
• Finance (Risk management)
• Internal Audit
• HR
• Training team
• Supply Planning Team

External

• Consultants
• Government departments
• Contractors
• Certification bodies
• Suppliers

Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required for the Job

Qualifications and Experience

• A degree in Food Science/Technology, Applied Science or like discipline
• A minimum of 3 years working in a food hygiene and/or health and safety environment implementing food safety and health and safety policies
• Experience in the implementation and management of ISO systems
• Valid Code EB drivers' licence

Skills and Competencies
Knowledge

• All applicable legislation
• SANS 10330 HACCP and ISO 22000 systems
• Industry standards
• Quality management principles
• Working knowledge of Vector strategies, policies, customer products and operations (warehousing and transportation)