Technical Assistant

My client, a well established fruit exporter based in Paarl is seeking to employ a Technical Assistant: Berries to join their Quality team.  The successful candidate will have a relevant BSc Degree (Horticulture / Food Science) to focus on compliance with 2 -3 years in a similar role.

Responsibilities

General

• Develop and manage internal technical and due diligence systems as defined by the IFS Quality Management Systems. • Creating and maintaining a database for technical standards and applicable legislation. Customers Due Diligence Requirements: • Liaise with customers with regards to their food safety, product quality, labelling, MRL, ethical, sustainability requirements. • Implementation of these customer requirements per fruit team and communication back to supply base. L e gi s l a tion and Industry/Market  Requirements: • Liaise with DAFF, PPECB, FruitSA, auditing bodies and key role players in order to keep up to date with quality, food safety, ethical legislation and requirements applicable to the industry. • MRL requirements • Minimum export standards • Special market protocols and registrations • FBO requirements and registrations • Dispensations • SIZA ethical program • Food Safety standards • Implementation of these standards and legislation and communication back to supply base. • Represent the company at industry technical meetings. G r o w er s and Packhouse support: • Set supplier approval criteria as per customer and market requirements.  Communicate to commercial teams and supply base. • Assists  producers  at farm  level  with interpretation  and implementation  of customer  requirements  and Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGap, Tesco Nurture, Field to Fork). • Assists packhouses with interpretation and implementation of customer requirements and food safety systems. Plant Protection Product Usage and other fruit analysis: • Liaise with analytical laboratories with regards to accreditation status, scope of analyses and test results. • Address customer concerns in terms of the use of plant protection products. • Ensure that MRL sampling procedure is followed by monitoring that samples are drawn and results conform to market and customer requirements.  Distribute MRL results to supply base and customers. • Assist with managing of incidences where residue analysis exceeds MRL at farm level or on arrival at customer. Communicate to commercial/technical teams for re-testing, re-routing or possible re-call. • Assemble spray-records per farm and variety as required. • Assist with performing  of  trend analysis  for MRL results  to determine  active ingredients/growers/variety that requires attention in reducing residue levels as requested by customers Product Quality: • Receive, interpret, capture and communicate QC feedback on arrival of fruit. IF S Broker - Quality Management System: • Management of the company QMS as per IFS Broker standards. • Implementation and maintenance • Internal auditing (including traceability) • External auditing • HACCP team member with the responsibility for food safety as required by the company's IFS system Ethical Compliance: • Address customer concerns in terms of ethical pratices within the company's supply chain. • Ensure ethical compliance over the entire supply base by communicating market requirements to producers and growers status to customers. • Follow-up on Sedex and SIZA memberships • Follow-up on SIZA and GRASP ethical audit compliance Sustainability Strategy: • Address customer concerns and requirements in terms of sustainability practices within the company's supply chain. • Assist in implementation of projects identified by the sustainability strategy (including biodiversity, social, water quality, carbon footprint). Pre-Seas o n: • Updating Packing Guide that will be sent to Packhouses. • Updating the Export System if there are new varieties / pack types etc. D u r in g Season Intakes:

• Import intake files, received via email and on the Paltrack server • Ensuring the correctness of the pallets fruit spec, and doing corrections where applicable • Follow up on receiving all the applicable Consignment notes for record purposes. • Scan and save inspection documents on Papertrail Dispatch / Transfers:

• Import transfer files, received via email and on the Paltrack server • Ensuring the correctness of the pallets fruit spec, and doing corrections where applicable Stock:

• Delete old stock files • Import latest stock files • Run a stock comparison on all pallets on stock, checking for any discrepancies • Follow up with packhouses and depots on any discrepancy in fruit spec found • Deviations • After  receiving  deviation  reports  from  depots  follow  up  with relevant  packhouse / producer  and  do corrections on stock where applicable. Loading Instructions:

• Generate  the container  booking form, confirm booking  on vessel planner, print, save and e-mail all • Loading Instructions to relevant packhouses • Create a flimsy per customer with relevant documents for each Loading Instruction Mates:

• Continue  to  follow-up  with  depots / packhouses  on  receiving mates  (confirmation  on  containers loaded) • Import PO files, received via email and on the Paltrack server • Compare mates received with loading instructions and confirm the container on Export System • Generate and print out any relevant documents and add to Flimsy Loading Notifications:

• After all the mates for a vessel were received,  print out a loading notification  for all containers • As soon as confirmation  is received from logistics on the actual departure date of the vessel, e-mail the loading notification (packing list) to all receivers Invoices:

• Collect account sales and capture it on the Export System • Receive prices / orders form customers or Blueberry Head and generate invoices • E-mail invoices to customers once all the invoices are finalised • Receipt confirm containers when specific weeks’ invoices have been issued • Scan documents for archiving when pooling is finished Other:

• R & M allocations: allocate stock to different receivers.
• Assist with similar activities for all business units
• Assist with generating invoices for Local Marketing
• Member of the IFS HACCP team