Position Summary

Agro Snow Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is seeking an experienced and hands-on QA/QC leader to establish and lead the Quality Assurance and Quality Control function for our new food ingredient manufacturing facility. This role is critical in supporting the start-up and commissioning phase of the plant by developing quality systems from the ground up, obtaining food safety certifications, building the QA/QC team, and ensuring readiness for commercial operations.

The ideal candidate must have proven experience in a greenfield/start-up food manufacturing environment, preferably within food ingredients, dairy ingredients, plant protein, or spray drying operations.

Key Responsibilities

Greenfield / Start-up Responsibilities

• Lead the establishment of the QA/QC department for a new food manufacturing facility.

• Develop and implement QA/QC strategies, policies, SOPs, specifications, forms, and documentation from scratch.

• Support plant commissioning, equipment qualification, trial runs, and commercial start-up activities.

• Establish laboratory operations, testing programs, and analytical procedures.

• Develop quality standards and specifications for raw materials, packaging materials, intermediates, and finished products.

• Build, recruit, train, and lead the QA/QC team.

Food Safety & Certification

• Lead the initial implementation and certification of:

  • FSSC 22000

  • HACCP

  • Halal

  • Kosher

  • GMP

  • GACC

  • FDA

• Act as the Food Safety Team Leader.

• Prepare the facility for first-time customer, regulatory, and certification audits.

• Maintain documentation and compliance requirements throughout the start-up phase.

Quality Operations

• Establish incoming, in-process, and finished product inspection programs.

• Oversee laboratory testing activities including microbiological and physicochemical analyses.

• Ensure implementation and verification of CCPs, OPRPs, and food safety controls.

• Lead investigations involving non-conformances, deviations, customer complaints, and CAPA activities.

• Conduct root cause analysis and implement preventive actions.

Audit & Regulatory Compliance

• Coordinate and lead internal, supplier, customer, certification, and regulatory audits.

• Liaise with certification bodies, government authorities, customers, and external laboratories.

• Ensure compliance with applicable Malaysian and international food regulations.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and mentor a QA/QC team comprising QA Executives, Food Safety personnel, and Laboratory Technicians.

• Monitor departmental KPIs and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Collaborate closely with Production, Engineering, R&D, Procurement, Warehouse, and Supply Chain teams.

• Promote a strong quality and food safety culture across the organisation.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, or a related discipline.

• Master's degree will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 10–15 years of experience in food manufacturing quality functions.

• Minimum 3–5 years in a managerial role leading QA/QC teams.

• Proven involvement in at least one greenfield/start-up food manufacturing project.

• Hands-on experience establishing QA systems and documentation from the beginning.

• Experience obtaining first-time FSSC 22000 certification is mandatory.

• Experience in Halal and Kosher certification implementation is highly preferred.

• Prior experience in food ingredients, dairy ingredients, plant protein, spray drying, or related sectors will be a strong advantage.

Technical Competencies

• FSSC 22000

• HACCP

• Halal Certification

• Kosher Certification

• GMP

• Internal & External Auditing

• CAPA and Root Cause Analysis

• Laboratory Management

• Food Safety Team Leadership

• Supplier Quality Management

• Customer Complaint Investigation

• Risk Assessment and Food Safety Compliance

Leadership Requirements

• Must currently hold or have most recently held the position of QA/QC Manager, Senior QA/QC Manager, or equivalent.

• Demonstrated experience managing a team of at least 3–4 direct reports, including QA personnel and laboratory staff.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Able to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment and work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Experience

• Food ingredient manufacturing.

• Dairy ingredient processing.

• Plant protein processing.

• Spray drying operations.

• Export-oriented manufacturing environments.

• Multinational company exposure.