One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty.

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Tupande Quality Assurance Senior Supervisor

Job Type

Full Time

Qualification

BA/BSc/HND , Diploma

Experience

Location

Nairobi

Job Field

Science

The Quality Assurance Officer is the site authority for food safety and quality assurance. The role has independent authority to approve or reject raw materials, in-process products, and finished products based on defined specifications.

Responsibilities

Product Integrity & Quality Assurance

• Finished Product Compliance: Oversee the grading and classification of macadamia kernels to ensure they meet international standards and customer specifications regarding size, color, and quality defect limits.
• In Process Quality Control: Manage the hourly sampling regime at key stages (Cracking, Sorting, Drying). Ensure operators are correctly identifying critical defects such as immature nuts, insect damage, and mold.
• Sensory Analysis: Enforce organoleptic testing protocols to detect early signs of rancidity (oxidative stability) or off-flavors caused by improper drying or storage.
• Hold & Release: Authority to place On Hold any batch of nuts that fails moisture specs or shows signs of contamination, preventing it from reaching the packing line.
• Verify monitoring records for defined Critical Control Points (e.g., drying temperatures for Salmonella control, metal detection for physical hazards).
• Conduct independent verification checks on CCP records to ensure accuracy and prevent record falsification
• Monitor Operational Prerequisite Programs (OPRPs) such as allergen controls (if applicable), sieving, or sorting performance.
• Immediately escalate deviations from critical limits and ensure corrective actions are implemented and documented.

Management of Team Performance (Quality of Inspectors)

• Monitoring the Monitors: You are responsible for the accuracy of your team.
• QA Inspectors: Support in the incoming material checks, in process line checks, sorting/operators team quality of work against standards and final packing inspectors quality of work
• Sanitation Inspectors: Inspect the cleaners work after they finish but before production starts. Provide immediate feedback if residue is found.
• Training & Competency: Maintain training matrices for both teams. Ensure sanitation staff understand Hygiene, sanitation and chemical safety and QA staff understand sampling validity, process checks and customer requirements
• Resource Allocation: Manage shift rotas to ensure coverage during peak seasons, ensuring no production line runs without QA presence and no cleanup happens without supervision.

Final Product Confirmation & Release Support

• Review laboratory results, moisture confirmations, grading reports, and packaging compliance before recommending product release
• Verify finished products meet internal specifications, export standards, and customer-specific requirements
• Ensure finished products are not dispatched without documented quality confirmation
• Maintain records of product approvals and quality release confirmations

Prerequisite Programs (PRP) Inspection & Reporting

• Conduct routine PRP inspections covering sanitation effectiveness, pest control trends, glass & hard plastic control, environmental monitoring, hygiene compliance, and waste management
• Review pest control service reports and escalate adverse trends
• Support zoning enforcement between Low Risk and High Care areas to prevent cross-contamination
• Document inspection findings and report gaps for corrective action

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You'll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You'll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Attention to detail: Able to identify issues on time for their escalation and problem resolution
• People Management: Experience in managing a team
• Problem-solving: Identify solutions to problems encountered
• Written and verbal communication: Able to communicate in word and written form of communication
• Ability to work as part of a team: Play role of a team member to assist the team to accomplish common goal
• Knowledge of food quality standards: Must have either ISO 22000 experience, HACCP, FSSC 20000, BRC,
• Minimum academic Qualification: A minimum of a diploma or degree in food science or food technology

• Oversee the grading and classification of macadamia kernels to ensure they meet international standards and customer specifications regarding size, color, and quality defect limits.
• Manage the hourly sampling regime at key stages (Cracking, Sorting, Drying). Ensure operators are correctly identifying critical defects such as immature nuts, insect damage, and mold.
• Enforce organoleptic testing protocols to detect early signs of rancidity (oxidative stability) or off-flavors caused by improper drying or storage.
• Authority to place On Hold any batch of nuts that fails moisture specs or shows signs of contamination, preventing it from reaching the packing line.
• Verify monitoring records for defined Critical Control Points (e.g., drying temperatures for Salmonella control, metal detection for physical hazards).
• Conduct independent verification checks on CCP records to ensure accuracy and prevent record falsification
• Monitor Operational Prerequisite Programs (OPRPs) such as allergen controls (if applicable), sieving, or sorting performance.
• Immediately escalate deviations from critical limits and ensure corrective actions are implemented and documented.
• Support in the incoming material checks, in process line checks, sorting/operators team quality of work against standards and final packing inspectors quality of work
• Inspect the cleaners work after they finish but before production starts. Provide immediate feedback if residue is found.
• Maintain training matrices for both teams. Ensure sanitation staff understand Hygiene, sanitation and chemical safety and QA staff understand sampling validity, process checks and customer requirements
• Manage shift rotas to ensure coverage during peak seasons, ensuring no production line runs without QA presence and no cleanup happens without supervision.
• Review laboratory results, moisture confirmations, grading reports, and packaging compliance before recommending product release
• Verify finished products meet internal specifications, export standards, and customer-specific requirements
• Ensure finished products are not dispatched without documented quality confirmation
• Maintain records of product approvals and quality release confirmations
• Conduct routine PRP inspections covering sanitation effectiveness, pest control trends, glass & hard plastic control, environmental monitoring, hygiene compliance, and waste management
• Review pest control service reports and escalate adverse trends
• Support zoning enforcement between Low Risk and High Care areas to prevent cross-contamination
• Document inspection findings and report gaps for corrective action

• Attention to detail
• People Management
• Problem-solving
• Written and verbal communication
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Knowledge of food quality standards (ISO 22000, HACCP, FSSC 20000, BRC)

• A minimum of a diploma or degree in food science or food technology