Head of Quality & Food Safety

About the Company

A leading, high-growth player in the premium bakery and QSR segment, known for its strong brand recall, product quality, and rapidly expanding retail footprint across India.

Roles and Responsibilities

• QHSE Strategy & Governance
• Establish and lead robust Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) across stores, central kitchens, and supply partners
• Drive a strong, non-negotiable culture of food safety, hygiene, and compliance across all levels of the organization
• Define governance frameworks, SOPs, and audit mechanisms to ensure consistency and accountability
• Food Safety & Quality Management
• Design, implement, and continuously improve HACCP-based food safety systems across bakery, beverages, and ready-to-eat categories
• Ensure strict adherence to critical controls including temperature management, shelf life tracking, allergen control, and cross-contamination prevention
• Lead preventive controls for high-risk, short shelf-life products typical to QSR and bakery formats
• Define and monitor quality benchmarks from raw material sourcing to final customer experience
• Regulatory Compliance & Audits
• Ensure full compliance with FSSAI regulations and all applicable statutory requirements
• Lead internal, external, and regulatory audits across locations
• Drive closure of audit findings through robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Store & Central Kitchen Operations
• Partner closely with Operations, Production, and Supply Chain teams to embed food safety into process design
• Define hygiene zoning, sanitation protocols, pest control, and waste management systems
• Ensure adherence to SOPs, equipment standards, and safe layouts across all formats
• Proactively identify and escalate food safety risks, ensuring zero compromise on standards
• Training & Capability Building
• Build and lead a strong QHSE team across regions
• Design and deploy training programs for store teams, kitchen staff, and operations leaders
• Drive behavioral change through practical and scalable food safety training initiatives
• Establish accountability for food safety at store and unit leadership levels
• Continuous Improvement & Risk Management
• Lead investigation and resolution of food safety incidents and customer complaints related to quality and hygiene
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement sustainable, system-driven solutions
• Leverage data, audits, and KPIs to continuously improve food safety and quality performance

Skills and qualifications

• Qualifications
• Degree in Food Technology, Microbiology or related field
• 12+ years of experience in QSR, bakery, airline catering, hospitality, or fresh food retail environments
• Certifications such as HACCP, ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000, and Lead Auditor preferred
• Strong working knowledge of FSSAI regulations is mandatory
• Skills
• Proven experience handling fresh food, ready-to-eat products, and short shelf-life operations
• Experience managing multi-unit or pan-India operations preferred
• Strong hands-on experience working closely with operations and production teams

What's On Offer

An opportunity to lead and shape the QHSE function for a rapidly expanding, high-impact food brand. This role offers strong leadership visibility, ownership of critical food safety and quality standards, and the platform to build scalable systems while directly influencing customer experience and brand trust in a high-growth environment.