Regional Quality Assurance Manager

Role overview

Regional quality and operational controls

• Maintain regional QA and Food Safety programs, policies, standards, and procedures; ensure regulatory and corporate compliance.
• Identify risks, monitor trends, implement corrective and preventive actions, and escalate critical quality or food safety matters.
• Oversee hygiene, allergen management, traceability, temperature controls, cleaning, pest control, and product handling.
• Support controls across warehousing, distribution, retail, cafés, and co-packing; coach teams and support openings and expansion.

Audits, suppliers, and regulatory compliance

• Develop and conduct risk-based audits across stores, warehouses, suppliers, logistics providers, co-packers, and franchise operations.
• Lead internal audits, pre-opening assessments, and regulatory readiness reviews; track corrective actions to closure and support external audits.
• Manage supplier approval, monitoring, re-evaluation, audits, and technical assessments; partner with Procurement on sourcing requirements.
• Maintain knowledge of UAE, KSA, and GCC regulations, labeling, and import/export controls; coordinate halal compliance and authority interactions.
• Coordinate laboratory testing, technical reviews, shelf-life studies, and regulatory submissions.

Complaints, training, and reporting

• Lead customer complaint investigations using root-cause analysis and manage CAPA, product holds, recalls, traceability exercises, and crisis simulations.
• Monitor complaint trends, escalate significant risks, and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop annual quality and food safety training plans and deliver training across functions to strengthen food safety culture.
• Prepare performance reports and collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, HR, Facilities, Customer Experience, and Regulatory teams.

Qualifications and experience

• Requires a bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
• Requires 7–10 years of progressive Quality Assurance and Food Safety experience, including work in retail, cafés, food service, confectionery, food manufacturing, or FMCG.
• Requires HACCP certification, Level 4 Food Safety qualification or equivalent, and Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor qualification.
• Requires strong knowledge of systems such as ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS, or AIB.
• Requires practical knowledge of UAE and KSA food regulations and GCC labeling requirements.
• Requires complaint investigation, CAPA, traceability, and recall program experience; fluent English and willingness to travel regionally.

Key competencies

• Food safety and quality leadership, regulatory compliance, supplier quality, audit and risk management, root-cause analysis, and CAPA.
• Stakeholder management, data analysis and reporting, training and coaching, project management, and continuous improvement.

Opportunity