Background

Tropical Heat was established in 1973 as a small ethnic snack cottage industry. Today, we are one of the leading manufacturers of spices and snacks in the East African region and our brand Tropical Heat is a household name in Kenya. With our very strong and expert technical team, we manufacture a vast range of spices and snacks. The spices include pure sp...

Summary

The Company is seeking a highly experienced Head of Quality and Food Safety to lead all quality and food safety functions across snacks, spices, seasonings, herbs, and new product categories. This role ensures that all products meet the highest standards of purity, consistency, legality, and safety. The Head of Quality and Food Safety will oversee QA, QC, laboratory functions, food safety systems, and certification standards, while driving a culture of continuous improvement across the factory.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Quality and Food Safety Management System.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP, ISO, FSSC, GMP, regulatory requirements, and internal standards.
• Oversee raw material assessment, in-process controls, finished product approval, and release procedures.
• Strengthen traceability, batch integrity, documentation accuracy, and allergen management.
• Manage laboratory operations, analytical testing, micro testing, and quality control checkpoints.
• Investigate quality deviations, complaints, and non-conformities, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Conduct internal audits and manage external audits, including certification renewals.
• Collaborate with Production, R&D, Procurement, Engineering, and Supply Chain to uphold quality and food safety standards.
• Lead training and awareness programmes on hygiene, quality, and food safety for all staff.
• Monitor sanitation, hygiene, pest control, and environmental conditions across the facility.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on product consistency, waste reduction, and operational excellence.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or related field.
• Minimum 7 to 10 years’ quality and food safety experience in FMCG food manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of HACCP, FSSC, ISO, GMP, laboratory processes, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in both powder-based and snack products is an added advantage.
• Strong documentation, audit, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams.

Personal Attributes

• Acts with integrity, professionalism, and a strong sense of responsibility.
• Brings enthusiasm, drive, and a proactive approach to daily work.
• Maintains high attention to detail, accuracy, and quality in all tasks.
• Organised, disciplined, and consistent in follow-through and documentation.
• Collaborates well with colleagues, communicates respectfully, and supports a positive team environment.
• Calm under pressure, solutions-oriented, and able to make balanced decisions.
• Shows initiative, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset.

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Quality and Food Safety Management System.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP, ISO, FSSC, GMP, regulatory requirements, and internal standards.
• Oversee raw material assessment, in-process controls, finished product approval, and release procedures.
• Strengthen traceability, batch integrity, documentation accuracy, and allergen management.
• Manage laboratory operations, analytical testing, micro testing, and quality control checkpoints.
• Investigate quality deviations, complaints, and non-conformities, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Conduct internal audits and manage external audits, including certification renewals.
• Collaborate with Production, R&D, Procurement, Engineering, and Supply Chain to uphold quality and food safety standards.
• Lead training and awareness programmes on hygiene, quality, and food safety for all staff.
• Monitor sanitation, hygiene, pest control, and environmental conditions across the facility.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on product consistency, waste reduction, and operational excellence.

• Strong documentation skills
• Audit skills
• Leadership skills
• Ability to manage cross-functional teams
• Strong understanding of HACCP, FSSC, ISO, GMP, laboratory processes, and regulatory compliance

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or related field.
• Minimum 7 to 10 years’ quality and food safety experience in FMCG food manufacturing.
• Experience in both powder-based and snack products is an added advantage.