A leading retail and food service organisation operating across the Middle East is hiring a high-calibre Quality Assurance & Food Safety Manager based in Dubai, UAE. This is a senior, strategic leadership role responsible for leading Q&FS governance, regulatory compliance, supplier quality, audit programs, incident management, and food safety culture across the company’s retail, café, warehouse, supply chain, co-packing, distribution, and franchise operations in the UAE, KSA, and GCC. Candidates must hold 7–10 years of Q&FS experience, be proficient in HACCP, ISO/FSSC 22000, BRCGS, and UAE/GCC food regulations, and bring strong leadership, audit, and stakeholder management skills to one of the region’s most dynamic and demanding food quality roles.
Operational Scope — Middle East Multi-Site Responsibility
🏪 Retail Stores: Full Q&FS oversight across all retail locations in UAE, KSA, and GCC markets
Café Operations: Food safety, hygiene, and quality compliance for café and food service environments
Co-Packing & Warehouses: Oversight of co-packing, third-party warehousing, and product release activities
Distribution & Supply Chain: Temperature control, traceability, and transport compliance management
Franchise Operations: Q&FS governance, audit, and compliance across franchise partner locations in the GCC
Food Safety Management Systems & Standards
HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points — core food safety planning and management
x ISO/FSSC 22000: International food safety management system standard
BRCGS: British Retail Consortium Global Standards — global food safety benchmark
IFS: International Featured Standards — food & product quality compliance
🇦🇪 UAE/GCC Regulations: Full compliance with MOHAP, Dubai Municipality, SFDA, and GCC food laws
Why This Quality Assurance Manager Role in Dubai is Exceptional: This is a genuinely senior, high-impact quality leadership position — not a mid-level compliance desk job. You will shape food safety strategy across multiple markets, lead incident response, drive supplier quality improvement, and directly protect brand reputation and consumer safety across one of the GCC’s most dynamic food retail and franchise networks. If you are a seasoned Q&FS professional with the experience, certifications, and leadership mindset to operate at this level in the Middle East — this is the role that will define your career.
Position Overview
As Quality Assurance & Food Safety Manager based in Dubai, UAE, you will lead the company’s entire Q&FS function across retail, café, warehouse, supply chain, co-packing, distribution, and franchise operations in the Middle East. Your mandate is to ensure product safety, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, supplier quality, risk management, and continuous improvement — while protecting both consumers and the brand’s reputation across the GCC. This role requires an experienced Q&FS leader who combines deep technical expertise in food safety standards with strong people leadership, stakeholder management, and the operational credibility to drive compliance across a complex, multi-site, multi-market organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Q&FS Governance & Compliance
- Maintain Q&FS policies, standards, and procedures in line with UAE/GCC legal requirements and international industry standards.
- Monitor risks, compliance performance, and improvement initiatives — acting as the escalation point for critical quality and food safety issues across all operations.
- Support new stores, operational changes, and strategic projects with expert Q&FS guidance, ensuring food safety is embedded from inception.
Operations & Audits
- Ensure compliance with hygiene, allergen management, traceability, temperature control, and food handling standards across all retail, café, and warehouse environments.
- Develop and execute risk-based audit programs across stores, suppliers, warehouses, and franchise operations — tracking corrective actions to ensure timely and verified closure.
- Oversee co-packing, warehousing, distribution activities, and product release processes in line with regulatory and quality standards.
Supplier & Regulatory Management
- Manage comprehensive supplier approval, evaluation, and audit programs — building a high-quality supplier base aligned with the company’s food safety and quality requirements.
- Ensure full compliance with UAE, KSA, and GCC food regulations, labelling requirements, import standards, and relevant national food authority requirements.
- Coordinate halal compliance, certifications, and regulatory submissions — as well as product testing, specification management, and shelf-life assessments.
Incident & Complaint Management
- Lead investigations into quality and food safety complaints — conducting root cause analysis and implementing robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Manage product withdrawal, recall, and crisis response activities — ensuring swift, compliant, and effective responses to food safety incidents that protect consumers and the brand.
Training, Culture & Leadership
- Develop and deliver food safety training and awareness programs across all operations — maintaining mandatory training records and certifications in line with regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, HR, and external stakeholders to embed food safety as a shared organisational value across all functions.
- Prepare periodic Q&FS performance reports, dashboards, and risk assessments for senior management — driving continuous improvement across multiple markets and sites.
Qualifications & Experience
Essential Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Assurance, or a closely related technical field — providing the scientific and regulatory foundation for senior Q&FS leadership.
- Minimum 7–10 years of experience in Quality Assurance and Food Safety within retail, food service, or food manufacturing — at a level of seniority commensurate with leading a regional multi-site Q&FS function.
- HACCP and Food Safety certification — current and valid, demonstrating active competency in food hazard analysis and critical control point management.
- Internal or Lead Auditor qualification — required to develop and execute risk-based audit programs independently across multiple operational sites and supplier categories.
- Comprehensive knowledge of ISO/FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS, or equivalent food safety management systems — including implementation, maintenance, and audit against these standards.
- Strong working knowledge of UAE, KSA, and GCC food safety regulations — including halal, labelling, import, traceability, and allergen management requirements.
- Fluent English and willingness to travel across the GCC region to cover the full operational scope of this role.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline — valued for senior strategic leadership in complex regulatory environments.
- Arabic language proficiency — a significant practical advantage for regional regulatory engagement and franchise partner communication.
- Advanced certifications in Food Safety, Quality Management, or Halal Compliance — demonstrating depth of specialism beyond the essential requirements.
- Experience with multi-site, franchise, or co-packing operations — directly relevant to the operational complexity of this role.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior QA & Food Safety Managers in the UAE/GCC: With 7–10 years of Q&FS experience in retail, food service, or food manufacturing and current HACCP certification and Lead Auditor qualifications.
- ISO/FSSC 22000 or BRCGS Certified Professionals: Who have implemented, maintained, or audited against major food safety management systems in multi-site or complex operational environments.
- GCC Regulatory Compliance Experts: With deep knowledge of UAE, KSA, and GCC food laws — including halal certification, MOHAP/Dubai Municipality requirements, SFDA, and import/labelling compliance.
- Retail or Franchise Q&FS Leaders: With direct experience managing food safety across multi-site retail, franchise, or co-packing operations — understanding the unique compliance challenges of these environments.
- Incident Management & CAPA Professionals: Food safety managers with proven experience leading product recalls, complaint investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action programs in the GCC food industry.
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