Quality Assurance & Control Manager

Quality Assurance & Control Manager

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Reporting to: Country CEO
Direct Reports: QC Supervisor, QC Inspectors and QC Officers

About the Role

Our Client, a leading packaging manufacturing company operating across multiple packaging categories and manufacturing technologies, is looking to hire a Quality Assurance & Control Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Quality function.

The role will be responsible for developing, implementing and continuously improving Quality Management Systems across the organisation, with responsibility spanning primary, industrial and tertiary plastic packaging, as well as Injection Moulding and Extrusion processes.

The successful candidate will own quality governance from raw material receipt through in-line production to final dispatch, ensuring that product specifications, food-safety and regulatory requirements, manufacturing standards and customer expectations are consistently met.

The position will also play a key role in driving continuous improvement, reducing quality-related costs, strengthening compliance and building a high-performing Quality Assurance team.

Objectives of the Role

The primary objectives of the Quality Assurance & Control Manager will be to:

• Provide strategic leadership and governance of the organisation's Quality Assurance and Quality Control function.

• Develop, implement and continuously improve an integrated Quality Management System across all relevant production processes.

• Ensure consistent product quality across primary, industrial and tertiary packaging categories.

• Drive achievement of high first-pass quality yields and minimise defects, scrap, rework and customer quality complaints.

• Ensure compliance with applicable quality, food-safety, environmental, occupational health and safety and manufacturing standards.

• Lead internal, external certification and customer audits and ensure timely closure of corrective actions.

• Strengthen raw material and supplier quality management processes.

• Ensure effective quality control, inspection, testing, calibration and laboratory management.

• Lead root-cause analysis, CAPA and continuous improvement initiatives to prevent recurring quality issues.

• Ensure all new products, production trials and process changes meet defined quality specifications before commercial production.

• Develop a technically competent, well-resourced and cross-skilled Quality team with appropriate succession and capability-building plans.

• Monitor and reduce the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) through structured continuous improvement initiatives.

Role Responsibilities / Description

Quality Management Systems & Governance

• Develop and continuously improve Quality Assurance processes, policies and procedures in line with business requirements.

• Own and govern the Quality Management System across all applicable product categories and manufacturing processes.

• Develop process flow charts, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and quality control procedures to ensure quality is embedded throughout production.

• Lead internal, external certification and customer audit programmes.

• Ensure effective corrective and preventive action following audit findings and non-conformances.

• Maintain appropriate documentation, records and traceability across the Quality function.

Primary Packaging Quality Assurance

• Define and monitor quality specifications and tolerances for rigid thin-wall consumer packaging.

• Ensure dimensional accuracy, wall-thickness uniformity, weight control and print/decoration quality.

• Conduct in-line inspections covering shot-weight consistency, cycle-time stability and cosmetic defects.

• Ensure food-contact packaging complies with relevant requirements, including migration testing and food-grade raw material certification.

• Approve first-off samples and production trials before commercial production in collaboration with Production and Technical teams.

Industrial Packaging Quality Assurance

• Define and monitor load-bearing, stacking, drop-test and impact-resistance specifications for industrial packaging.

• Monitor structural integrity, including wall thickness, rib strength, weld-line integrity and resistance to environmental conditions.

• Conduct field-performance and durability testing in line with customer and industry requirements.

• Monitor product appearance, colour consistency and other customer-specific quality requirements.

Tertiary Packaging Quality Assurance

• Define and monitor film specifications, including thickness consistency, tensile strength, elongation, cling force, puncture resistance and clarity.

• Monitor extrusion process parameters to ensure consistent product output.

• Conduct finished-roll quality inspections covering issues such as telescoping, wrinkling, core alignment and edge-trim consistency.

• Validate load-containment performance of stretch film before product release.

Raw Material & Supplier Quality

• Oversee quality assessment and approval of raw materials, including resins, additives, masterbatch and film-grade polymers.

• Manage supplier quality qualification and performance-monitoring programmes.

• Develop and maintain supplier quality scorecards.

• Manage non-conforming raw materials and implement appropriate corrective actions.

• Maintain raw-material batch traceability through to finished goods.

Process Control, Testing & Laboratory Management

• Plan and oversee inspection and testing of raw materials and finished products at receiving, in-line and dispatch stages.

• Ensure quality control and laboratory equipment is calibrated, maintained and fit for purpose.

• Apply Statistical Process Control (SPC) and process-capability analysis to monitor production variation and improve process consistency.

• Analyse quality and production data to identify trends, recurring defects and opportunities for improvement.

Customer Complaints & Continuous Improvement

• Lead investigation and resolution of customer quality complaints.

• Conduct structured root-cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.

• Champion continuous improvement and Kaizen initiatives across Quality, Production and Technical functions.

• Drive measurable reductions in defects, scrap, rework and Cost of Poor Quality.

• Monitor quality performance against agreed KPIs and provide regular management reporting.

Compliance, Food Safety & Manufacturing Standards

• Ensure adherence to applicable manufacturing, quality, food-safety and GMP requirements.

• Maintain compliance across relevant food-contact packaging operations.

• Coordinate and manage product trials before commercial production.

• Ensure production processes consistently meet defined customer, regulatory and quality requirements.

• Identify and close compliance gaps proactively before they result in audit findings or customer issues.

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach and develop the Quality Assurance and Quality Control team.

• Ensure adequate Quality resources across shifts and production lines.

• Conduct quality, food-safety and process-specific training for employees.

• Evaluate training effectiveness and identify ongoing capability-development needs.

• Develop competency frameworks and succession plans for the Quality function.

• Establish clear accountability for quality standards across the team.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry, Material Science, Polymer/Chemical Engineering, Analytical Chemistry or a related discipline.

• Professional certification in relevant Quality Management Systems, including ISO 9001, FSSC 22000/HACCP, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and/or BRC.

• Lead Auditor certification in relevant management systems will be required.

• Six Sigma or Lean certification will be an added advantage.

Experience & Technical Skills

Relevant Experience

• 10–15 years' experience in a busy manufacturing environment, preferably spanning food and plastics packaging.

• At least 5–7 years' experience in a managerial Quality Assurance/Quality Control role within the plastics packaging industry.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience across:

  • Primary packaging: Thin-wall containers produced through Injection Moulding.

  • Industrial packaging: Crates and similar rigid packaging produced through Injection Moulding.

  • Tertiary packaging: Stretch film produced through Extrusion.

• Strong technical understanding of Injection Moulding and Extrusion technologies, including process control and defect analysis.

• Experience in quality inspection, auditing and testing across polymer packaging products.

• Proven experience implementing CAPA, 8D and structured root-cause analysis.

• Experience implementing and managing Quality Management Systems, including TQM, ISO 9001, FSSC 22000/HACCP, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, BRC, SHEQ and GMP.

• Experience working with ERP systems.

• Knowledge of food-production hygiene and quality standards, Kaizen and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Strong knowledge of polymer formulation, including resin types, additives, masterbatch and film-grade materials.

• Hands-on experience with quality-control testing equipment and processes across Injection Moulding and Extrusion environments.

Technical & Functional Skills

• Quality & Compliance: Strong practical knowledge of applicable ISO, food-safety, GMP and quality-management standards.

• Statistical Process Control: Ability to apply SPC and process-capability analysis to reduce production variation.

• Problem Solving: Strong root-cause analysis and corrective-action capability using tools such as 5-Why, Fishbone, 8D and other structured problem-solving methodologies.

• Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to interpret production, quality and testing data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

• Quality Testing: Strong understanding of laboratory testing, inspection procedures, calibration and quality-control equipment.

• Continuous Improvement: Demonstrated ability to drive Kaizen, defect reduction, scrap reduction and process optimisation initiatives.

• Customer & Complaint Management: Ability to investigate quality complaints and drive evidence-based resolution.

• Audit Management: Strong experience preparing for, leading and closing internal, external certification and customer audits.

• Training & Capability Development: Ability to assess training needs and develop quality and food-safety capability across production teams.

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead a multi-shift Quality team, enforce standards and make sound decisions under pressure.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with Production, Technical/R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement and Commercial teams.

• Numerical & Analytical Capability: Comfortable using quality metrics, yields, defect rates, SPC data and other quantitative measures to drive decisions.

• ERP & Systems: Working knowledge of ERP systems and quality documentation/reporting systems.