The QA Officer – Catering is responsible for monitoring food quality, hygiene, food safety, and compliance across catering operations. The role ensures that food preparation, storage, handling, transportation, and serving meet company standards, HACCP requirements, and applicable food safety regulations.
Key Responsibilities:
• Monitor daily food preparation, cooking, storage, portioning, and serving activities.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety, hygiene, and quality procedures.
• Conduct regular inspections of kitchens, food production areas, stores, dining areas, and equipment.
• Monitor food temperatures during receiving, cooking, cooling, storage, transportation, and service.
• Verify proper FIFO/FEFO practices and monitor food expiry dates and shelf life.
• Inspect incoming raw materials and verify supplier quality and documentation.
• Ensure proper personal hygiene and food-handling practices among catering staff.
• Conduct hygiene inspections and maintain food safety and quality checklists.
• Identify non-conformities and coordinate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Investigate food quality complaints and assist in identifying root causes.
• Monitor cleaning and sanitation activities and chemical usage.
• Verify pest-control activities and follow up on corrective actions.
• Maintain QA/QC records, inspection reports, temperature logs, cleaning records, and other food safety documentation.
• Conduct regular internal food safety and hygiene audits.
• Assist in food safety training and hygiene awareness programs for catering staff.
• Coordinate with kitchen, procurement, stores, operations, and management regarding quality issues.
• Ensure compliance with client requirements and applicable local food safety regulations.
• Prepare daily/weekly/monthly QA and food safety reports.
• Support external audits, client inspections, and regulatory inspections.
• Ensure proper handling and documentation of food samples, where required.
Qualifications & Experience:
• Bachelor's degree/Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Food Safety, Hospitality, or a related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of QA/Food Safety experience in catering, food production, hospitality, or institutional catering.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, food hygiene, sanitation, and food safety practices.
• Experience with food safety inspections and audits.
• Good knowledge of temperature control, food storage, cross-contamination prevention, and allergen control.
• Good communication, documentation, and reporting skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Saudi/GCC catering experience would be plus
Preferred Certifications:
• HACCP Certification
• ISO 22000 / Food Safety Management System
• ISO 9001
• Food Safety / Food Hygiene certification
• Relevant local food safety certification, where applicable.