Hiring Now | SHERQ Officer (Sunshine) | Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal | Permanent Position Available

RCL Foods is searching for an experienced, technically proficient, and leadership-capable SHERQ Officer to join its Baking Division at the Sunshine PMB site in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Reporting directly to the QA Food Safety Manager, this permanent role is responsible for managing the daily Quality and Food Safety activities of the Sunshine Pietermaritzburg baking operation — including the implementation and maintenance of FSSC 22000, QMS, HACCP, and customer standards, managing the Food Safety team, overseeing supplier and external service provider relationships, and ensuring all laboratory consumables, testing, and invoicing are handled within budget and on time. If you hold a relevant Food Science or Food Technology qualification, have hands-on FSSC 22000 implementation experience, and can lead a team while managing complex, multi-dimensional quality systems, RCL Foods wants you on this team.

Don’t miss this opportunity — vacancies are filling fast. Apply before 06 June 2026.

SHERQ Officer Job Overview

Detail	Information
Job Title	SHERQ Officer (Sunshine)
Reference Number	RCL260527-2
Company	RCL Foods
Division	SHEQ — Baking Division
Reporting To	QA Food Safety Manager
Industry	Food Manufacturing / FMCG / Baking
Job Type	Permanent
Salary	Market Related
Location	Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Closing Date	06 June 2026
Application Status	Open – Accepting Applications Now

About the Role

The SHERQ Officer at RCL Foods Sunshine PMB is a technically demanding, operationally integrated quality and food safety leadership role. You will be responsible for managing all Quality and Food Safety activities across the Sunshine Pietermaritzburg baking business — from implementing and maintaining FSSC 22000, QMS, HACCP, and customer requirements, to managing the Food Safety team, conducting food safety and management review meetings, overseeing non-conforming product control, driving customer complaint resolution, and maintaining all QA databases, test plans, specifications, and compliance documentation. You will also manage the purchasing of laboratory consumables and ensure all purchase orders and supplier invoices are processed on time and within budget.

This role requires someone who combines deep technical knowledge of food safety science with strong people management ability, commercial awareness, and the drive to lead continuous improvement across a complex manufacturing environment. You will work cross-functionally with manufacturing, supply chain, and quality teams, engage with customers and suppliers on food safety matters, and represent the Sunshine PMB site in all internal and external audits. At RCL Foods, quality and food safety are not departmental obligations — they are core to the business’s purpose of nourishing communities and growing what matters.

Please note: This role carries direct people management responsibility, including task assignment, leave and overtime management, performance management, and disciplinary engagement for direct reports. Candidates must be comfortable exercising leadership and management authority within a structured food manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities of a SHERQ Officer

Quality Management Systems

• Implement and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) in full, including all customer requirements and relevant third-party standards applicable to the Sunshine PMB business.
• Manage all activities related to the releasing of final and raw products, including QC tests and external testing, ensuring positive release in compliance with specifications.
• Identify applicable national legislation relevant to the Sunshine PMB business and ensure effective implementation across the site.
• Ensure the implementation and consistent application of appropriate policies, procedures, and test methods — including GLP, PRPs, and QMS requirements — to achieve and maintain third-party and customer standards.
• Drive activities related to resolving non-conformance issues to support the reduction of inventory costs and prevent recurrence.
• Provide laboratory expertise and technical support to resolve customer complaints and implement corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
• Make quality decisions involved in the pass, fail, and concession of materials based on business needs, applying the appropriate standards of integrity and technical knowledge at all times.
• Manage internal and external sampling and testing of materials in accordance with established test plans.
• Maintain all QA information systems — including databases, test plans, methods, procedures, and calibration records — to ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and third-party requirements.
• Maintain the QMS by ensuring all documentation, procedures, and work instructions required to meet customer and third-party audit standards are current and up to date.
• Conduct Mock Recalls to ensure due diligence and compliance with customer and third-party audit requirements.
• Establish testing plans for all new raw materials and final products, and ensure only approved ingredients and raw materials are used in production.
• Ensure all product specifications are current, accurate, and maintained on file.
• Implement and monitor process control documents across the production environment.
• Manage all non-conforming products — raw and final — by ensuring they are identified, segregated, labelled, and blocked for use correctly and without delay.
• Generate Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for customers as per contractual requirements.

Food Safety Management

• Implement and maintain the Food Safety system based on FSSC 22000 and applicable customer requirements across the Sunshine PMB site.
• Identify, appoint, and manage the Food Safety team, ensuring team members are appropriately trained and their development needs are actively managed.
• Conduct monthly food safety audits and assist relevant departments in implementing effective corrective actions arising from audit findings.
• Manage all food safety related audits — both internal and external — ensuring the site maintains compliance to all applicable standards at all times.
• Conduct monthly food safety and annual management review meetings, ensuring accurate minutes are kept and distributed.
• Manage customer complaints through structured investigation processes, implementing corrective actions that prevent recurrence and communicating outcomes to customers professionally.
• Manage the internal corrective action process to ensure root causes are addressed and recurrence is prevented across all food safety non-conformances.
• Implement and manage all relevant PRPs — including Pest Control, Cleaning and Sanitation, and GMP — ensuring external service providers are managed and performing to standard.
• Conduct supplier audits as required, assessing compliance with food safety requirements and driving corrective actions where necessary.
• Implement and manage the allergen management programme across the site.
• Manage the verification testing schedule, ensuring all tests — including microbiological testing — are conducted as per schedule.
• Communicate food safety issues effectively to suppliers, customers, and relevant interested parties in the food chain.
• Generate the monthly Food Safety and QA report for submission to the QA Food Safety Manager.

Supplier & External Service Provider Management

• Manage all supplier relationships in relation to quality and food safety requirements, conducting audits and driving continuous improvement where required.
• Manage all external service providers — including Pest Control, Cleaning, and PPE suppliers — ensuring contractual performance and compliance with site standards.
• Manage the purchasing of laboratory consumables and ensure all invoices are processed in a timely manner within budgetary constraints.
• Ensure all purchase orders and supplier invoices are handled accurately and on time to support uninterrupted operations and on-time payment.

Budget & Cost Management

• Ensure all labour, testing, consumable, and equipment maintenance costs remain within the approved budget at all times.
• Support the reduction of inventory costs through effective non-conformance management and proactive quality intervention.
• Actively participate in and support the Continuous Improvement Team in achieving the site’s business goals and financial objectives.

People Management & Team Development

• Manage the daily activities of direct reports, including task assignment, holiday scheduling, initial overtime approval, purchasing authorisation, and efficient deployment of resources.
• Manage the training, development, and performance of all direct reports, ensuring team capability is continuously developed and formally reviewed.
• Serve as the initial contact for disciplinary issues within the direct reports team, managing such matters professionally and in line with company policy.
• Manage the Food Safety team’s training needs and ensure all team members remain current with food safety knowledge and FSSC 22000 requirements.
• Actively participate in product trials in order to manage quality requirements and provide technical input during new product development or process changes.

Minimum Requirements – SHERQ Officer

Educational Qualifications:

• BSc Consumer Science / Food Science or B-Tech Food Technology or equivalent relevant qualification (essential)

Experience & Certifications:

• Proven experience in the implementation of ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 (essential)
• Internal auditor experience in a food manufacturing or FMCG quality environment (essential)
• Demonstrated experience in scientific testing techniques and the ability to interpret analytical and microbiological test results (essential)
• Proven experience with QMS and HACCP programmes in a food manufacturing environment (essential)
• Experience in people management — task assignment, performance management, and disciplinary engagement (essential)

Technical Skills:

• Computer literate — proficient in QA databases, document management systems, and standard business software (essential)
• Working knowledge of GLP, PRPs, and relevant food safety regulatory frameworks (essential)
• Experience generating and managing COAs, test plans, and product specifications (essential)

Knowledge Requirements:

• In-depth knowledge and practical experience of ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, QMS, and HACCP programmes
• Sound knowledge of scientific and microbiological testing techniques and the ability to interpret results accurately
• Familiarity with national food safety legislation applicable to the South African baking and food manufacturing sector
• Knowledge of allergen management and verification testing in a food production environment

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong attention to detail in all quality systems, documentation, and test result interpretation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage professionally with suppliers, customers, and all levels of the business
• Good interpersonal skills — able to work and communicate effectively at all levels throughout the organisation
• Proven leadership skills with demonstrated ability to manage, develop, and hold accountable a direct reports team
• Ability to work effectively both as part of a team and independently using own initiative
• Genuine willingness and capability to learn new skills and adapt to evolving food safety and quality standards

Core Values We Look For in a SHERQ Officer

Technical Rigour & Scientific Credibility

Food safety and quality decisions at this level have real consequences for consumers, customers, and the business. We look for SHERQ Officers who bring genuine scientific depth to the role — who can interpret microbiological and analytical results with confidence, who make pass, fail, and concession decisions based on evidence and integrity, and who earn the trust of the manufacturing and supply chain teams through consistent technical credibility.

Systems Ownership & Compliance Leadership

FSSC 22000, QMS, HACCP, and customer audit standards are not documents to be filed — they are living systems that require active ownership, ongoing maintenance, and continuous improvement. We value SHERQ Officers who take personal accountability for the integrity of every system under their management, who keep documentation current and audit-ready without being prompted, and who drive compliance as a site-wide cultural standard rather than a periodic review exercise.

Customer & Supplier Engagement with Professional Authority

This role requires confident, professional engagement with customers on complaint investigations and food safety queries, and with suppliers during audits and non-conformance resolution. We value candidates who communicate food safety requirements with authority and clarity, who manage sensitive conversations professionally, and who represent the Sunshine PMB site with the credibility and competence that RCL Foods’ commercial relationships demand.

People Leadership & Team Development

The SHERQ Officer manages a Food Safety team and carries direct people management responsibility across a range of HR functions. We value leaders who invest in their team — who assign tasks clearly, develop capabilities deliberately, manage performance consistently, and create an environment where food safety professionals are motivated to grow, contribute, and hold themselves to high standards.

Continuous Improvement & Commercial Awareness

Great quality management does not only protect the product — it protects the margin. We value SHERQ Officers who understand the commercial impact of non-conformances, inventory write-offs, and customer complaints, and who actively engage with the Continuous Improvement team to drive solutions that reduce costs, prevent recurrence, and make the Sunshine PMB operation more efficient and competitive over time.

Career Growth Opportunities in Food Safety, Quality Assurance & SHEQ Management

Joining RCL Foods as a SHERQ Officer at Pietermaritzburg positions you within a structured quality and food safety function with clear pathways for advancement in SHEQ leadership and food manufacturing management. For technically strong, commercially aware individuals, the progression is achievable:

• SHERQ Officer → Senior SHERQ Officer / QA Specialist
• Senior SHERQ Officer / QA Specialist → QA Food Safety Manager
• QA Food Safety Manager → SHEQ Manager / Site Quality Manager
• SHEQ Manager / Site Quality Manager → Group Quality & Food Safety Manager

Your career path is in your hands.

Frequently Asked Questions – SHERQ Officer Jobs

What qualifications are required for this post? A BSc in Consumer Science or Food Science, or a B-Tech in Food Technology, or an equivalent relevant qualification is required. This is a technically demanding role that involves interpreting scientific test results, managing food safety systems to FSSC 22000 standards, and providing laboratory expertise — a relevant tertiary qualification in food science or food technology is therefore an essential foundation.

Is FSSC 22000 implementation experience truly essential? Yes. The SHERQ Officer is directly responsible for the implementation and maintenance of FSSC 22000 at the Sunshine PMB site. Candidates who have theoretical knowledge of the standard but no hands-on implementation experience will be at a significant disadvantage. The role requires someone who has lived the implementation process — managing documentation, conducting audits, driving corrective actions, and maintaining certification compliance in a real food manufacturing environment.

Does this role involve managing people? Yes. The SHERQ Officer carries direct people management responsibility for the Food Safety team and other direct reports. This includes daily task assignment, holiday and overtime scheduling, performance management, training and development, and serving as the initial point of contact for disciplinary matters. Candidates who have not previously held a people management role should consider whether they are ready for this level of responsibility before applying.

What does the budget management responsibility involve? The SHERQ Officer is responsible for ensuring that all labour, testing, consumable, and equipment maintenance costs remain within the approved budget. This includes managing the purchasing of laboratory consumables, ensuring all supplier invoices are processed on time, and actively contributing to the reduction of inventory costs through effective non-conformance management. A basic level of commercial and financial awareness is therefore required alongside the technical food safety competencies.

Will the SHERQ Officer be involved in customer and supplier engagement? Yes, significantly. The role includes managing customer complaints through formal investigation and corrective action processes, communicating food safety issues to customers and suppliers, generating COAs for customers, conducting supplier audits, and managing enquiries from interested third parties in relation to food safety. Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to engage professionally at all levels are essential for this aspect of the role.

What is the closing date and how do I apply? The closing date is 06 June 2026. Quote reference number RCL260527-2 in all correspondence. Ensure your CV clearly demonstrates your relevant food science qualification, FSSC 22000 implementation experience, internal auditor background, and people management track record. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

How to Apply for This SHERQ Officer Job

Ready to lead food safety and quality excellence at one of South Africa’s most respected food manufacturing groups? Applications are open now. Quote reference number RCL260527-2 in all correspondence and submit your application via the RCL Foods careers portal.

👉 Apply Online via RCL Foods Careers Portal

Closing Date: 06 June 2026. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

If you are not contacted within a reasonable period after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Apply early — this vacancy closes on 06 June 2026.

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