Background

Highlands is a Kenyan company manufacturing and marketing non-alcoholic beverages, with a history spanning 69 years. A Pioneer of the East African beverages industry, Highlands has been transformed from a small family factory to a category leader with an "own-brand" portfolio that spans the major beverage categories and consumer segments of the market.

Key duties and responsibilities

A.Quality Management Systems

Develop, implement, and continuously improve the Company's Quality Management System (QMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality standards across manufacturing and supply chain operations.

Ensure effective implementation and maintenance of HACCP, GMP, ISO, and other applicable food safety and quality frameworks.

Drive standardization, process discipline, and quality governance across all manufacturing activities.

Monitor compliance with internal quality systems and recommend improvements to strengthen operational effectiveness.

Lead periodic reviews of quality systems to ensure they remain relevant, effective, and aligned to business requirements.

Promote a culture of quality ownership and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Expected Output

A robust, sustainable, and auditable quality management framework that supports operational excellence and protects the Company's brands.

B.Product Quality and Food Safety

Lead quality assurance activities across the manufacturing process to ensure products consistently meet defined quality and food safety standards.

Establish and monitor critical quality control points throughout production and packaging operations.

Drive implementation and continuous improvement of HACCP, GMP, sanitation, hygiene, and food safety programmes.

Investigate quality deviations, non-conformances, and food safety incidents, ensuring effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.

Support product release processes by ensuring compliance with approved specifications and quality standards.

Promote proactive risk management to prevent product quality failures and protect consumer safety.

Expected Output:

Consistent production of safe, compliant, and high-quality products with zero critical food safety incidents.

C.Operational Cost Analytics

Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory, statutory, customer, and Company quality requirements.

Coordinate and lead internal, external, customer, and regulatory quality audits.

Maintain readiness for certification and surveillance audits relating to food safety and quality management systems.

Drive timely closure of audit findings and corrective action plans.

Monitor changes in legislation and industry standards and ensure appropriate implementation across the business.

Expected Output

Full compliance with regulatory and certification requirements and successful audit outcomes.

D.Supplier Quality and Material

Establish and maintain supplier quality standards and approval processes.

Monitor the quality performance of raw materials, packaging materials, and critical suppliers.

Coordinate supplier audits and quality improvement programmes where necessary.

Investigate supplier-related quality issues and implement appropriate corrective and preventive actions.

Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain teams to ensure reliable and consistent input quality.

Support new supplier and material qualification activities.

Expected Output

Reliable supplier performance and consistent availability of quality raw and packaging materials.

E.Continuous Improvement & Cost of Quality

Monitor and analyse quality performance indicators, defects, waste, product losses, and customer complaints.

Lead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing quality-related losses.

Partner with Manufacturing to improve process capability, operational efficiency, and product consistency.

Drive initiatives to reduce the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) and improve overall manufacturing performance.

Support innovation and process optimization projects through quality and food safety expertise.

Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the Quality function.

Expected Output

Reduced quality defects, lower operational losses, and continuous improvement in manufacturing performance and product quality.

F.Quality leadership and Performance Reporting

Provide leadership and direction for the Quality function, ensuring effective implementation of quality standards, food safety requirements, and operational quality objectives across the manufacturing environment.

Develop and maintain quality dashboards, scorecards, and management reports that provide visibility of quality performance, compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities.

Analyse quality trends, product performance, customer complaints, audit findings, and emerging risks to provide proactive recommendations and drive continuous improvement.

Work collaboratively with Supply Chain, Procurement, Commercial, Research & Development, and other business functions to ensure alignment on quality standards, supplier performance, and product integrity.

Develop the capability of the Quality team through effective coaching, training, succession planning, and performance management.

Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and quality ownership across the business, ensuring that quality remains an integral part of operational excellence.

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve the Company's Quality Management System (QMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality standards across manufacturing and supply chain operations.
• Ensure effective implementation and maintenance of HACCP, GMP, ISO, and other applicable food safety and quality frameworks.
• Drive standardization, process discipline, and quality governance across all manufacturing activities.
• Monitor compliance with internal quality systems and recommend improvements to strengthen operational effectiveness.
• Lead periodic reviews of quality systems to ensure they remain relevant, effective, and aligned to business requirements.
• Promote a culture of quality ownership and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Lead quality assurance activities across the manufacturing process to ensure products consistently meet defined quality and food safety standards.
• Establish and monitor critical quality control points throughout production and packaging operations.
• Drive implementation and continuous improvement of HACCP, GMP, sanitation, hygiene, and food safety programmes.
• Investigate quality deviations, non-conformances, and food safety incidents, ensuring effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support product release processes by ensuring compliance with approved specifications and quality standards.
• Promote proactive risk management to prevent product quality failures and protect consumer safety.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory, statutory, customer, and Company quality requirements.
• Coordinate and lead internal, external, customer, and regulatory quality audits.
• Maintain readiness for certification and surveillance audits relating to food safety and quality management systems.
• Drive timely closure of audit findings and corrective action plans.
• Monitor changes in legislation and industry standards and ensure appropriate implementation across the business.
• Establish and maintain supplier quality standards and approval processes.
• Monitor the quality performance of raw materials, packaging materials, and critical suppliers.
• Coordinate supplier audits and quality improvement programmes where necessary.
• Investigate supplier-related quality issues and implement appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain teams to ensure reliable and consistent input quality.
• Support new supplier and material qualification activities.
• Monitor and analyse quality performance indicators, defects, waste, product losses, and customer complaints.
• Lead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing quality-related losses.
• Partner with Manufacturing to improve process capability, operational efficiency, and product consistency.
• Drive initiatives to reduce the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) and improve overall manufacturing performance.
• Support innovation and process optimization projects through quality and food safety expertise.
• Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the Quality function.
• Provide leadership and direction for the Quality function, ensuring effective implementation of quality standards, food safety requirements, and operational quality objectives across the manufacturing environment.
• Develop and maintain quality dashboards, scorecards, and management reports that provide visibility of quality performance, compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Analyse quality trends, product performance, customer complaints, audit findings, and emerging risks to provide proactive recommendations and drive continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with Supply Chain, Procurement, Commercial, Research & Development, and other business functions to ensure alignment on quality standards, supplier performance, and product integrity.
• Develop the capability of the Quality team through effective coaching, training, succession planning, and performance management.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and quality ownership across the business, ensuring that quality remains an integral part of operational excellence.