Supplier & Distribution Quality Manager

Role & responsibilities :

Supplier Quality Strategy and Governance: Establish supplier qualification criteria, approval workflows, material risk categories and audit schedules. Maintain an approved supplier list and define quality requirements for new suppliers, existing suppliers and changes to material sources or manufacturing processes.

Raw and Packaging Material Risk Assessment: Assess biological, chemical, physical, allergen, adulteration and authenticity risks in raw materials. Evaluate food-contact suitability, migration, contamination, barrier performance, seal integrity and transit protection risks in packaging. Define sampling, testing and verification requirements according to material risk and supplier performance.

Proactive Vendor Development: Identify and assess potential vendors with Procurement, including alternate sources for critical materials. Conduct gap assessments and implement supplier improvement plans covering hygiene, process controls, traceability, testing, packaging consistency and capacity readiness. Provide technical guidance and training, verify improvements and qualify vendors through trials before regular supply.

Supplier Audits and Performance Management: Conduct risk-based supplier audits covering food safety systems, good manufacturing practices, process capability, laboratory controls and traceability. Maintain supplier scorecards using rejection trends, complaints, audit findings and corrective action performance. Escalate recurring failures and recommend approval, conditional approval, suspension or delisting through the defined governance process.

Material Specifications and Qualification: Develop and review raw and packaging material specifications with R&D, Packaging Development and plant QA. Define acceptance criteria, certificates of analysis and compliance evidence. Coordinate sample evaluation, plant trials, packaging compatibility and shelf-life studies, and control supplier or material changes before implementation.

Incoming Quality and Supplier Nonconformances: Align plant teams on inspection and test methods, certificate verification, deviation handling and material traceability. Investigate supplier-related failures, establish containment and drive root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Verify action effectiveness and prevent recurrence across plants.

Quality in Storage Transportation and Distribution: Set and verify quality requirements for warehouses, depots, transporters and distributors. Audit hygiene, pest control, stacking, handling, temperature and humidity where applicable, vehicle suitability and first-expiry-first-out practices. Monitor remaining shelf life, stock ageing and transit damage, and drive corrective actions with Supply Chain and Sales.

Market Damaged and Expired Material Verification: Establish and execute a verification process for damaged, expired and near-expiry market stock. Verify product identity, batch, quantity, expiry date, condition and supporting records through physical checks or an approved evidence-based process.

Compliance Documentation and Capability Building: Ensure supplier and distribution quality controls align with applicable food safety and food-contact packaging requirements and company standards. Maintain audit-ready risk assessments, supplier files, specifications, test reports and CAPA records. Train suppliers and internal teams, and report supplier rejection, CAPA closure, distribution compliance, market damage and expiry trends to management.