A premium consumer brand operating across the UAE, KSA, and designated Middle East markets is seeking an experienced Regional Quality Assurance Manager based in Dubai to lead Quality Assurance and Food Safety activities across the entire Middle East region, ensure the highest standards of product quality and regulatory compliance across retail stores, cafés, warehouses, co-packing operations, distribution networks, suppliers, and franchise partners, protect consumer safety and safeguard brand reputation, and drive a strong, proactive food safety culture across multiple dynamic markets.
About the Role — Regional QA Leadership Across Middle East
Regional Scope: UAE, KSA, and designated Middle East markets — cross-country quality leadership
Operations Covered: Retail stores, cafés, warehouses, co-packing, distribution, suppliers, franchise
Systems Required: ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS, AIB food safety management systems
Regulatory Expertise: UAE, KSA, and GCC food regulations, labeling requirements, halal compliance
Mission: Protect consumers, safeguard brand reputation, and drive food safety culture region-wide
Career Opportunity & Regional Impact
Strategic Role: Lead Q&FS across a multi-country premium consumer brand operation in Middle East
Cross-Functional Influence: Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, HR, and Regulatory
Travel Exposure: Regular travel across UAE, KSA, and wider Middle East markets for audits and assessments
Brand Impact: Drive food safety excellence influencing business performance and consumer trust region-wide
Position Overview
This Regional Quality Assurance Manager role involves leading all Quality Assurance and Food Safety (Q&FS) activities across the Middle East for a premium consumer brand headquartered in Dubai. You will maintain regional QA and food safety programs, ensure compliance with local regulations and corporate standards, oversee quality controls across retail, café, warehouse, distribution, and co-packing operations, develop and execute risk-based audit programs, manage supplier approval and monitoring, coordinate halal compliance, lead complaint investigations and CAPA programs, manage product recalls and crisis simulations, deliver food safety training, and prepare regular performance reports — all while building a proactive, high-performance quality culture across the UAE, KSA, and Middle East markets.
Why This Role Matters: As Regional QA Manager for a premium Middle East consumer brand, you lead food safety and quality excellence across multiple countries protecting millions of consumers who trust this brand, apply your 7–10 years of progressive QA expertise across complex multi-channel operations spanning retail, cafés, warehouses, and franchise networks, build deep expertise in GCC food regulatory compliance including UAE FCA, SFDA Saudi, and halal certification management, serve as the key regional escalation point for critical food safety decisions impacting brand reputation and consumer trust, and advance your career as a senior quality leader shaping food safety strategy across one of the world’s most exciting consumer markets.
Key Responsibilities
Quality & Food Safety Regional Leadership
- Lead and maintain regional QA and Food Safety programs, policies, standards, and procedures across all markets
- Ensure compliance with local UAE, KSA, and GCC regulations, corporate requirements, and industry best practices
- Identify risks, monitor performance trends, and implement corrective and preventive actions across operations
- Serve as the key escalation point for all critical food safety and quality matters across the Middle East region
Retail, Café & Supply Chain Quality Management
- Oversee hygiene, allergen management, traceability, temperature control, cleaning, pest control standards region-wide
- Support quality and food safety controls across warehousing, distribution, retail, café, and co-packing operations
- Conduct operational quality assessments and provide targeted coaching to business teams across markets
- Support new store openings, renovations, and business expansion projects ensuring food safety integration
Audit & Compliance Programs
- Develop and execute risk-based audit programs across stores, warehouses, suppliers, logistics, and franchise operations
- Lead internal audits, pre-opening assessments, and regulatory readiness reviews across all markets
- Track corrective actions to closure ensuring sustainable long-term compliance across all audited sites
- Support external, customer, certification, and regulatory audits with documentation and technical expertise
Supplier & Product Quality Management
- Manage supplier approval, ongoing monitoring, and re-evaluation programs across the supply base
- Conduct supplier audits and technical assessments ensuring alignment with quality and food safety requirements
- Partner with Procurement embedding quality, food safety, legal, and halal requirements within sourcing decisions
- Coordinate laboratory testing and technical review of all products and materials across the portfolio
Regulatory & Halal Compliance
- Maintain deep expertise in UAE, KSA, and GCC food regulations, labeling requirements, and import/export controls
- Manage all interactions with food control authorities, certification bodies, and regulatory stakeholders
- Coordinate comprehensive halal compliance programs and maintain full halal certification documentation
- Support product shelf-life studies and regulatory submissions across all Middle East markets
Complaints, Incidents & Crisis Management
- Lead customer complaint investigations using structured root-cause analysis and CAPA methodology
- Manage CAPA programs, product holds, recalls, traceability exercises, and crisis simulation activities
- Monitor complaint trends and drive continuous improvement initiatives across operations and supply chain
- Escalate significant quality and food safety risks in accordance with company protocols and timelines
Training, Culture & Reporting
- Develop and implement annual Quality and Food Safety training plans across all functions and markets
- Deliver engaging, impactful training and awareness programs building capability across the organization
- Promote a proactive food safety culture and continuously strengthen compliance awareness region-wide
- Prepare regular Q&FS performance reports and partner with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience Requirements
- 7–10 years of progressive Quality Assurance and Food Safety experience (Essential requirement)
- Experience within retail, cafés, food service, confectionery, food manufacturing, or FMCG environments
- Experience managing complaint investigations, CAPA programs, traceability exercises, and recall management
- Practical working knowledge of UAE, KSA, and GCC food regulations and labeling requirements
Technical Knowledge
- Strong knowledge of food safety management systems: ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS, and/or AIB
- Expertise in halal compliance programs and GCC halal certification management requirements
- Proven supplier quality management experience including audits and technical assessments
- Experience with allergen management, temperature control, traceability, and pest control programs
Personal Competencies
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills for senior leadership and cross-functional collaboration
- Fluent English required; Arabic language skills are a distinct advantage for GCC market stakeholders
- Willingness to travel regularly across UAE, KSA, and designated Middle East markets
- Strong analytical, data analysis, and reporting skills for performance monitoring and trend identification
- Project management capability for leading complex, multi-market quality and food safety initiatives
About the Opportunity — Lead Quality Across the Middle East
This is a rare opportunity to lead Quality and Food Safety across a dynamic, multi-country operation in the Middle East while directly influencing business performance, consumer safety, and brand excellence throughout the GCC region. The successful candidate will work alongside cross-functional teams, external partners, and senior stakeholders to build a culture of quality and continuous improvement that protects consumers and strengthens brand reputation across retail stores, cafés, distribution networks, and franchise operations spanning UAE, KSA, and broader Middle East markets.
Career Impact: This regional QA leadership role offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced food safety professional to shape quality strategy, protect consumers, and drive measurable excellence across a growing premium Middle East consumer brand.
Key Competencies for Success
- Food Safety & Quality Leadership: Setting and maintaining the highest regional quality standards
- Regulatory Compliance: Deep expertise in UAE, KSA, GCC, and international food regulations
- Supplier Quality Management: Building and managing compliant, high-performing supply chains
- Audit & Risk Management: Risk-based audit programs and sustainable corrective action closure
- Root Cause Analysis & CAPA: Structured investigation methodology driving lasting improvement
- Stakeholder Management: Influencing senior leaders and cross-functional teams across markets
- Training & Coaching: Building food safety capability and culture across diverse teams
- Project Management: Delivering complex, multi-market quality improvement initiatives
Who Should Apply?
- QA Managers: With 7–10 years food safety experience in retail, FMCG, or food service ready for regional role
- Food Safety Leaders: With HACCP Level 4, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000 expertise seeking Middle East leadership
- Lead Auditors: With GCC regulatory knowledge and multi-site audit program management experience
- FMCG Quality Directors: Seeking broad cross-functional regional QA management in premium UAE brand
- Halal Compliance Specialists: With UAE/KSA certification management experience in food industry
- Supply Chain QA Experts: With supplier audit and product quality management background in GCC markets
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