Customer & Supplier FSQ Coordinator Operations The purpose of the role is to provide support across the group to maintain and continuously improve the Customer Compliance and Supplier Quality Assurance Program. To collaborate with the Regional Quality/FS, R&D and Procurement teams to enforce the organisations SQA and Customer requirements. Represent the organization in conducting supplier audits while building professional relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders Line of reporting - National Quality & Food Safety Manager Key Accountabilities and Outputs Supplier Quality Assurance Manage the SQA process for suppliers of ingredients, packaging, contract packed products, monitoring & measuring equipment, and external service providers Manage and improve the National Supplier Database ensuring it is always up to date Drive improvements through management of deviations for supplied materials and reduction thereof New & Current Supplier Approvals - ensure that the relevant documentation in accordance with the supplier evaluation procedure is requested, verified, and approved Ensure that high risk suppliers are audited on site in accordance with the established audit schedules Ensure that Supplier audits have been tallied, findings have been closed out with corrective action and effectiveness of the corrective action is verified, Update Supplier audit registers Monitoring and Evaluation of Supplier NC trends and escalate any concerns Reporting Supplier Trends to Head of Procurement and National QFS Manager Collaborate with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure supplier compliance with specifications and contracts Implement Change Management Protocols Carry out supplier criticality & vulnerability and risk assessments and analyse data for supplier rating Maintain effective communication and relationships with suppliers. Ensure that service provider performance assessments are completed at each facility Supplier Performance Management - to ensure Quality standards in product manufacture by third party service providers meets the standards required Religious Certification Compliance Ensure that all raw materials are kosher and halaal certified and where not locally certified then obtain approval from local certification bodies Follow up with suppliers and religious bodies for the certification of any raw material Work closley with R&D and religious certification bodies to ensure certification of all NPD before trial stage Flag any issues with religious certifications to National QFS Manager Customer Compliance Ensure that customer requirements are understood, communicated and implemented across the supply chain Ensure that suppliers and or service providers are selected and evaluated to meet customer requirements where applicable Ensure that only customer approved suppliers are used across the supply chain where franchise brands or private brands with this specific requirement is concerned Maintain the customer compliance database and keep up to date, communicate and implement any changes to customer requirements Quality & Food Safety Coordinate quality assessments on specific business functions / processes Drive the resolution of customer & supplier quality issues / concerns in collaboration with the relevant teams Assess and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of application, operational controls, procedures and processes of the Customer and Supplier QA program Critically evaluate controls in place, identifying risks and create suitable solutions In cases of non-compliance, consult with the relevant authority for management decision making Provide the necessary support to ensure that the organisations QFS Culture is executed across its supply chain Where applicable, provide training internally on customer requirements across the organisation and training to customers and suppliers on the organisations procedures and requirements where appropriate Continuous Improvement Identify areas for improvement within the QFS system and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement improvements. Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices related to quality and food safety. Support initiatives related to process optimization, cost reduction, and quality enhancement. Documentation and Reporting Maintain accurate records related to supplier audits, customer complaints, corrective actions, and quality metrics. -Generate periodic quality and food safety performance reports for management review. Ensure all QFS documentation is kept up-to-date and complies with regulatory and company standards. Qualifications and Experience Grade 12 / Matric / MIN National Diploma in Food Technology, Biotechnolog