Quality & Food Safety Lead - Spices Europe

Join a purpose-driven organization at the forefront of sustainable food systems. As a key member of our Spices EMEA team, you will bridge the gap between Sales, Quality, and Regulatory Compliance, ensuring our products meet the highest standards while supporting customer success across Europe.
This role is ideal for a seasoned professional with deep expertise in food safety, regulatory affairs, and customer engagement within the spices industry.

Customer Engagement & Support

• Act as the primary contact for customers regarding quality, regulatory, and technical inquiries.
• Manage customer complaints end-to-end: intake, investigation coordination, communication, and CAPA implementation.
• Support customer visits and provide expert advice on product quality and compliance.
• Handle Technical Document Requests (TDRs) and assist with product improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with European sales and customer service teams to resolve issues and enhance customer satisfaction.

Origin Collaboration

• Partner with origin QFS teams (e.g., India, Vietnam, China, US) to ensure food safety and regulatory compliance.
• Align with origins on parameters across the supply chain: raw materials, post-harvest treatments, manufacturing processes, additives, packaging, and transport.
• Provide technical and commercial insights to PLM, QFS, and Operations teams.
• Support evaluation and compliance of new products and blends for the European market.

Business & Regulatory Strategy

• Translate risk-related data into actionable insights for business decisions.
• Support HACCP planning, specification reviews, and new project development.
• Collaborate with Sales to identify and fulfill new product opportunities.
• Monitor and interpret EU regulatory changes, advising Innovation & Quality teams proactively.
• Represent the company in industry associations (e.g., KNSV, ESA) to anticipate and influence regulatory developments.
• Maintain accurate, auditable records of complaints, regulatory updates, and compliance activities.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, and origin teams.
• Actively contribute to the Regulatory Compliance Centre of Expertise.
• Drive continuous improvement in systems and processes across departments.
• Maintain and expand a centralized database of quality documentation.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Quality & Compliance within the spices or food ingredients industry.
• MSc in Food Technology, Food Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• In-depth knowledge of European food legislation, especially concerning spices.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with global and regional customers.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; collaborative and open-minded.
• High integrity and respect for diverse stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in a matrix organization.
• Fluent in English (spoken and written).
• Willingness to travel up to 10% to customer and origin sites.