Quality Assurance Manager - Meat Processing

Vanessa Strong • March 2, 2026

NAIROBI, KENYA | FULL TIME


By Appointment Africa is proud to be the exclusive recruiter for a regional meat processing company supplying high-quality products across East Africa.

Reporting to the Plant Operations Manager, the Quality Assurance Manager will lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the Food Safety Management System, ensuring full compliance with FSSC 22000, statutory regulations and customer certification requirements. The role oversees audits, product and process validation, risk management and customer food safety concerns, while driving quality performance across the plant and associated operations. Leading a team of eight, this position carries full responsibility for quality governance, audit readiness, traceability, hygiene standards and continuous improvement within a dynamic production environment.

                                                    Quality Assurance Manager


Job Purpose

This role is responsible for implementing and maintaining compliance in line with the Food Safety Management System while ensuring compliance with all applicable regulatory and statutory requirements. Customers require certifications, specifications and company-prescribed standards. In addition, the Quality Assurance Manager is tasked with assisting with the establishment, implementation, maintenance and updating of the standardised Food Safety Management Plan that satisfies the requirements of the Food Safety Management system.


Key Responsibilities

  1. Management of quality assurance, control and compliance
  2. Manage the implementation and updating of the Food Safety Management System in line with FSSC 22000 current version, external stakeholder audit requirements.
  3. Ensures compliance with all local regulatory, ethnic, statutory and religious certification requirements.
  4. Ensure new product development are in line with the set international food safety Standards and KEBs standards. Management and updating the new product development process as per company procedures.
  5. Manage the planning and coordination of internal, external and supplier audits.
  6. Manage the planning and conducting of training sessions on food safety protocols to internal stakeholders.
  7. Conduct process validation and verification studies to inform specification limits and criteria.
  8. Ensure effective traceability, control, inspection and sampling plans are followed to ensure compliance based on the risk assessment program
  9. Ensure adherence to GMP, GHPs and PRPs, OPRPs and CCPs in the plant.
  10. Manage plant cleanliness and hygiene.
  11. Manage customer food safety complaints.
  12. Manage the investigation of root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions and verify effectiveness
  13. Food safety team leader.
  14. Quality assurance reports.
  15. Waste management.
  16. Development of SOPs relevant to food safety standards.
  17. Manage product and packaging development and sign-off process as per the outlined procedures
  18. As a key member of the quality team:
  19. Participate in quality team meetings.
  20. Ensure relevant training and education in your department
  21. Drive the implementation of quality management principles as per FSSC, QSA/FSA and NSF standards.
  22. Manage animal welfare audits
  23. Develop, implement, maintain and review quality policy at least annually.
  24. Define quality objectives and goals that shall be reviewed at least annually.
  25. Regularly review products’ quality and implement initiatives to drive


Continuous improvement.

  • Review product quality risk assessments regularly, not limited to changes to process, equipment, or row material annually.
  • Define action plans for quality goals and objectives, which shall be reviewed at least quarterly.
  • Develop, implement and maintain product quality risk assessment.
  • Support in verifying of the accuracy of the QAP against the production.
  • Carry out cutting sessions of all products regularly.
  • Ensuring that all KPI data analysis is used for Continuous improvement where appropriate.
  • Review and share customer feedback within 48 hours.
  • To ensure procedures are in place to respond to potential emergency situations or incidents that can have an impact on quality which are relevant to role of the organisation in the food chain
  • Support butcheries in food safety audits.


Key Performance Indicators

  • Audit scores.
  • Lab Results: product, water and environmental swabs
  • Active nonconformities.
  • Compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements, set standards and procedures.
  • Execution of test instances.
  • Training in lab analysis.
  • QA/QC Skills matrix and development of action plan
  • Customer food safety complaints trends
  • Service level agreement scores
  • Customers feedback resolution rate within 48hrs.
  • Supplier audits as per the schedule.
  • Closure of audit findings within the stipulated timelines.
  • Mass balance and mock recall score above 99 – 105% as per the standards.
  • Test methods sampling plan


Minimum Position Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in food science or a related field.
  • Minimum of 6 years' experience in a managerial position in food safety management systems as well as managing Audits.
  • Understanding of applicable food safety and quality standards.
  • FSSC 22000 2018 Lead Auditor Training
  • Experience in a meat processing environment a distinct advantage.


Competencies and AttribuĊ‚es

  • Good analytical skills
  • Attention to detail.
  • Strong Communication skills.
  • Relationship management.
  • Problem solving skills.
  • Decision making skills.
  • Planning and organisation skills.
  • People management skills.


Relationships and working contacts

Internal stakeholders: Farms, Laboratory, Production, Stores and logistics, Sales, Retail, Butcheries, Marketing, Maintenance, HR and Customer service.

External stakeholders: Suppliers, client representatives and third-party auditors.


Work Environment

This is an operations-based role in the plant, requiring the role holder to be on their feet for lengthy periods of time.

  • Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions and hazardous situations. 
  • The role requires visits to customer sites and wearing of PPE.
  • Employees must be available to work outside normal office hours, or at the weekends as required by the company or other obligations.


Ready to Take the Next Step?

Apply now and let us connect you with a role that aligns with your skills, experience, and career goals.

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