TRAFFIC
Gauteng
QA Specialist Packaging
Heineken
Job Description
Safety, Health and Environment 
- Identify, interpret and ensure timely implementation of the latest SHE and food safety standards, ensuring availability, understanding and application by all relevant stakeholders across packaging and warehousing operations.
- Ensure safety training is planned, delivered and refreshed for all relevant stakeholders, and that all SHE-related incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions are accurately recorded, investigated and followed up.
- Ensure all packaging laboratories and quality work areas consistently meet safety, 5S, HACCP and hygiene standards.
- Ensure departmental compliance with company SHE standards and the OHS Act through ongoing training and fostering a zero-accident culture.
- Record and report all quality-related incidents accurately and promptly.
- Ensure continuous adherence to all health and safety requirements.
- Contribute actively to the implementation, governance and continuous improvement of quality management systems, procedures and controls within packaging and warehousing.
- Ensure packaging process capabilities, quality control points and specifications are clearly defined, understood and consistently applied to prevent deviations reaching the market.
- Provide technical quality decision support during deviations, trials, equipment changes and non-routine operations to safeguard product integrity.
- Ensure all activities align with relevant quality standards (e.g., ISO 9001, LSS, TPM).
- Conduct internal assessments of Quality Management Systems using ICC methodology.
- Collect and evaluate quality data from packaging analysis activities.
- Ensure governance and accuracy of quality control results.
- Manage quality measurement systems and tools.
- Analyze data to identify risks related to quality and food safety.
- Oversee the successful commissioning and integration of new quality control equipment on production lines.
- Drive and participate in quality-focused TPM activities, ensuring quality losses, recurring defects and system weaknesses are structurally addressed through root cause analysis and sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
- Monitor and support adherence to TPM practices.
- Maintain workplace standards in line with AM and 5S requirements; actively participate in AM/5S teams.
- Ensure quality standards, control plans and work instructions are updated following improvements and that solutions are horizontally expanded where applicable.
- Support the execution of improvement initiatives across operations.
- Lead quality problem-solving and continuous improvement efforts.
- Structurally prevent quality issues across the packaging department by evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness and robustness of quality-related processes and initiating corrective and preventive actions.
- Manage internal and external complaints related to packaging quality, ensuring root cause analysis, corrective action definition, verification of effectiveness and proper closure.
- Ensure clear decision-making within defined authority limits and elevate risks appropriately where product safety or compliance may be impacted.
- Execute quality control strategies and manage all quality related processes within packaging.
- Provide support during quality issues and NPI projects.
- Develop and maintain quality control procedures and work instructions for packaging and logistics.
- Ensure timely and accurate execution of required analyses.
- Facilitate decision-making by providing technical expertise and ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements.
- Ensure all quality measurement and analysis equipment is fit for purpose, reliably available and does not compromise packaging quality or process control.
- Define, monitor and govern quality control points (Q points) linked to packaging equipment and materials.
- Support commissioning, validation and handover of new or modified packaging and measurement equipment from a quality perspective.
- Monitor and ensure analysis instruments in packaging environment are maintained in optimal working condition.
- Manage procurement activities for packaging laboratory equipment and supplies.
- Troubleshoot and resolve breakdowns of quality control equipment.
- Adjust workforce planning (e.g., shifts, overtime, temporary labor) to meet operational demand.
- Develop, maintain and deliver packaging quality training materials and ensure effective coaching of operators, technicians and quality team members both in the classroom and on the shop floor.
- Build quality capability and ownership within operations to ensure consistent execution of quality tasks and sustainability of controls.
- Provide functional guidance, performance feedback and day to day prioritisation for packaging quality personnel within own scope.
- Provide regular performance feedback and coaching to direct reports.
- Lead the packaging quality team with a focus on engagement, collaboration and cross functional integration.
- Manage individual and team performance effectively.
- Attract, recruit and retain high performing talent.
- Collect, process and report packaging laboratory data in alignment with operational requirements.
- Capture, analyse and interpret packaging quality performance data, ensuring timely reporting and initiation of corrective actions within defined authority levels.
- Interpret quality data to identify issues and implement corrective actions.
- Use quality data and trends to proactively identify risks, systemic weaknesses and improvement opportunities.
- Maintain and ensure reliability of reporting systems.
- Monitor monthly budget expenditures, report variances and ensure timely follow up actions.
- Plan, coordinate and follow up on regular maintenance, verification and calibration of packaging quality measurement and control equipment.
- Support project and NPI execution through trials, testing, tastings and quality risk assessments, ensuring a First Time Right (FTR) approach.
- Balance resource utilisation within own area to support operational priorities and project execution.
- Maintain close cooperation with packaging material suppliers to ensure consistent quality performance and effective resolution of packaging quality issues.
- Execute and evaluate trials and testing of new or modified packaging materials in collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
- Support supplier investigations, corrective actions and continuous improvement activities linked to quality performance.
- Conduct trials and testing to evaluate and implement new materials and products.
About This Role
Career insights for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders positions
Salary Benchmark
R16,588/month
R11,245 to
R25,874/month
Source: WageIndicator ZAR data
Job Outlook
This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.
Key Skills for This Role
Operations Monitoring
Monitoring
Active Listening
Coordination
Operation and Control
Common Technologies
Microsoft Outlook 365
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft PowerPoint 365
Microsoft Excel 365
DYMO Connect
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Insights
Median Salary (ZAR)
R16,588/month
Job Outlook
This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.
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