Panda Retail — one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most recognized supermarket chains — is seeking an experienced Quality Operations Coach based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a dynamic regional quality leadership role responsible for implementing the Food Safety and Product Quality Coaching Program across Panda’s retail stores, central bakeries, and omnichannel operations — including supplier pre-qualification, HACCP, BRC, ISO, and AIB audit programs, customer complaint and NCR management, pest control and hygiene programs, and team development. A Certified Lead Auditor qualification is preferred.
Multi-Standard Food Safety Framework — Full Compliance Required
HACCPBRCISO 22000AIBSaudi SFDALocal Regulatory StandardsPanda Quality Standards
About the Role — Quality Operations Coach, Panda Retail Riyadh
Company: Panda Retail — one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most established supermarket and hypermarket chains
Scope: Regional — covering retail stores, central bakeries, facilities, and omnichannel operations across the region
Programs: Quality Coach Program · Supplier Audit Program · NCR Management · Pest Control & Hygiene
Supplier Categories: Private label (food & non-food) · Fresh meat · Chilled meat · Produce · Deli · International suppliers
Certification: Certified Lead Auditor preferred — HACCP, BRC, ISO, AIB knowledge required
Why This Quality Operations Coach Role at Panda Stands Out
Saudi Retail Leader: Shape food safety culture across one of the Kingdom’s most recognized supermarket chains — high-visibility, high-impact career role
Multi-Channel Scope: Cover retail stores, central bakery operations, and omnichannel quality — a uniquely broad and challenging quality remit
Supplier Audit Leadership: Lead audits across private label and fresh food suppliers — building genuine multi-sector food safety expertise
Career Growth: Quality Operations Coach roles at major retail chains offer clear progression toward Regional Quality Manager, Head of Food Safety, and Group QA Director positions in Saudi Arabia
Position Overview
The Quality Operations Coach at Panda Retail in Riyadh is a senior regional quality leadership role that spans the full food safety and product quality cycle across Panda’s retail network. You will execute the Quality Coach Program across Panda’s retail stores, facilities, and omnichannel platforms — ensuring the highest product quality standards are maintained in line with Panda’s internal standards. You will simultaneously implement a comprehensive Supplier Quality Audit Program for private label and fresh food vendors, manage the customer complaints and NCR process, oversee pest control and hygiene programs, lead quality-related projects, and drive people development within the regional quality team — all while ensuring compliance with local Saudi regulatory requirements and international food safety standards including HACCP, BRC, ISO, and AIB.
Why This Role Matters: As Quality Operations Coach at Panda Retail Riyadh, you are the food safety champion across an entire regional retail network — your quality coaching raises standards in every store, your supplier audits protect product integrity from farm to shelf, your NCR management closes quality gaps before they reach customers, your pest control oversight protects brand reputation, and your people development investment builds the quality culture that millions of Saudi consumers trust every day when they shop at Panda.
Key Responsibilities
1. Facility Quality Management — Quality Coaching Program
- Execute Panda’s Quality Coach Program across all assigned retail stores, facilities, and omnichannel operations — ensuring the highest product quality standards are consistently met in line with Panda’s internal quality requirements and Saudi food safety regulations
- Conduct systematic quality coaching visits, inspections, and assessments across all store formats — identifying gaps, providing on-the-floor coaching, and tracking improvement progress at each location
- Maintain detailed quality coaching records, store inspection reports, and corrective action trackers — generating clear performance dashboards for regional management review
- Support the central bakery quality program — ensuring baked goods production, storage, and display meet Panda’s quality and food safety standards at all times
2. Supplier Quality Management — Supplier Audit Program
- Implement and execute comprehensive supplier quality audit programs for all private label food and non-food vendors — covering product quality, food safety systems, traceability, labeling compliance, and regulatory adherence
- Conduct structured quality audits across all fresh food supplier categories — including fresh meat, chilled meat, produce, deli, and other perishable food categories — against Panda’s supplier quality standards and applicable food safety regulations
- Lead the supplier pre-qualification program for fresh, private label, and international suppliers — evaluating new and existing vendors against defined quality and food safety criteria before approval for listing
- Prepare clear, actionable supplier audit reports with findings, risk ratings, and improvement requirements — following up to ensure all corrective actions are implemented within agreed timelines
3. Customer Complaints & NCR Management
- Implement and manage Panda’s customer complaints process throughout the year — receiving, investigating, categorizing, and closing all product and food safety-related customer complaints within defined timelines
- Manage the Non-Conformance Report (NCR) process across all assigned stores and facilities — ensuring all non-conforming products and processes are identified, quarantined, investigated, and resolved with documented corrective actions
- Analyze customer complaint and NCR data for trends and recurring issues — recommending systemic improvements to product quality, supplier performance, and store operations to prevent recurrence
4. Pest Control, Hygiene & Projects Management
- Oversee the implementation of pest control and hygiene programs across all assigned retail stores and facilities — ensuring all sites maintain the highest hygiene standards consistent with Panda’s requirements and Saudi regulatory authority expectations
- Lead and support quality-related projects — contributing technical expertise to new store openings, store refurbishments, new product introductions, and quality system improvement initiatives as required
- Ensure full compliance with all applicable local Saudi food safety regulations, SFDA requirements, and international food safety standards (HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000, AIB) across all areas of responsibility
5. People Development & Team Leadership
- Lead and develop the regional quality team — providing structured coaching, training, and mentoring to build food safety and quality audit competency across team members at all levels
- Develop others’ skills through on-the-job guidance, formal training programs, and quality knowledge sharing — building a strong, capable regional quality team aligned with Panda’s excellence standards
- Demonstrate leadership, diplomatic skills, and resilience in managing quality challenges — working tactfully with store management, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to drive sustainable quality improvements
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Quality Management, or any other relevant scientific or engineering discipline
- Certified Lead Auditor qualification (HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000, or equivalent) is strongly preferred and will significantly strengthen the application
Experience Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of overall experience — with at least 3 years in a dedicated audit and quality management position within food manufacturing, retail, or hospitality sectors
- Strong knowledge and practical experience in quality management systems and supplier audit programs in an FMCG, retail, or food service environment
- Thorough knowledge of local Saudi food safety regulatory standards and international standards including HACCP, ISO 22000, AIB, and BRC
- Experience across multiple food safety and hygiene fields — including manufacturing, retail operations, or hospitality — is highly preferred
Key Competencies
- Strong leadership skills with a proven track record of developing others and emphasizing excellence within quality and food safety teams
- Exceptional attention to detail and thoroughness — able to identify subtle quality deviations and systemic compliance gaps across complex multi-site retail environments
- Diplomatic, tactful, and resilient — capable of influencing store managers, suppliers, and operational teams constructively without creating adversarial relationships
- Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities across multiple stores, supplier audits, and NCR investigations simultaneously
About Panda Retail — Saudi Arabia’s Trusted Supermarket
Panda Retail Company is one of the largest and most recognized supermarket and hypermarket chains in Saudi Arabia, serving millions of consumers across the Kingdom through an extensive network of retail stores, central bakeries, and omnichannel platforms. Panda is committed to delivering the highest quality products to its customers — making its regional Quality Operations Coach role one of the most impactful food safety positions in Saudi retail. The company maintains strict compliance with Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) standards and leading international food safety frameworks including HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000, and AIB.
Career Outlook: Quality Operations Coaches at Panda Retail have a clear and well-supported progression path toward Regional Quality Manager, Head of Food Safety & Quality, and Group Quality Director roles — all senior, well-compensated positions in Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing retail sector.
Who Should Apply?
- Food Safety Auditors: With 5+ years of quality and audit experience in Saudi or GCC retail, FMCG, or food manufacturing — holding HACCP, BRC, or ISO lead auditor certification
- Retail Quality Managers: With multi-site experience in Saudi supermarket, hypermarket, or food retail quality coaching, supplier auditing, and NCR management
- Supplier Quality Specialists: With private label vendor audit experience across food and non-food categories in the Saudi FMCG or retail sector
- Food Science / Microbiology Graduates: With 5+ years of food safety system management experience across manufacturing, retail, or hospitality environments in Saudi Arabia or the GCC
- Lead Auditor Certified Professionals: With HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000, or AIB certification and strong people development and leadership skills seeking a senior regional quality role at a leading Saudi retailer
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