R&d Fsqa Weca Lead

**Overview**

**We are PepsiCo**

PepsiCo is proud to be one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies. Every day, we are dedicated to bringing our mission to create more smiles with every sip and every bite to life. Our products are enjoyed more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Our portfolio — including Lay’s, Doritos, Gatorade, Pepsi and Quaker — consists of many iconic brands that generate more than US $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales, helping to deliver more than US $70 billion in net revenue in 2020.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive. Through PepsiCo Positive, we are charting a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people. PepsiCo Positive is an end-to-end strategic business transformation with sustainability at the centre of how we will create growth and value by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change.

In South Africa (SA), you will find our products across the region at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. At the gym or on the field. In the office or on the go. We refresh, restore, and rejuvenate our consumers all day, every day with our key brands including Simba, Lay's, Liqui Fruit and Bokomo range of cereals. PepsiCo SA employs more than 13, 000 people across our three business divisions: Bakeries, Grains, Foods, Fruit, Snacks, Juice & Beverages.

**Responsibilities**

**What we’re looking for**:

- Provide FSQA leadership to WECA BU Foods & Beverages Category, including leading/partnering with a team to effectively deliver the aligned AOP Agenda and Long-term strategic initiatives.
- Effectively support the regional product and package innovation agenda by ensuring standards and process are adhered from design to commercialization through programs TSG linked tools incl. GIB, PCC and FSHA.
- For complex innovations, provide needed technical support at plant level to ensure start-up readiness and develop quality system and testing protocols/methods which should be applied for new product introductions as well as follow through post launch through in-market programs incl. hypercare.
- Lead in developing risk-mitigating strategies along with other groups (Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, R&D) to properly manage resources in addressing critical food safety issues. Ensure Food hazard assessments, HTDs of all R&D projects working cooperatively with relevant R&D stakeholders as well as relevant SMEs where required.
- Lead and coordinate FSQA due diligence and relevant incident management where required across the relevant key stakeholders through effective implementation of the Incident management program using IRIS and other tools as applicable.
- Provide needed oversight and governance by ensuring our quality and food safety standards and protocols are effectively implemented in the manufacturing facilities, and that they are maintained across the supply chain to ensure our products are safe, legal and meet consumer-defined design across our total portfolio of products.
- Effectively collaborate with regional Quality Control (SC) to jointly develop Quality and Food Safety objectives and targets that deliver on our promise to provide consumers with safe and wholesome products of outstanding quality, consistency, and value.
- To facilitate continuous FSQA improvements in the region through implementation of QMS and audit programs and ensuring needed corrective actions to non-compliances in quality and food safety audits have been implemented, and that the systems and processes that are in place are being adhered to by SC (QC).
- Provide needed oversight and governance on roll-out of digital programs incl. CAST, Near Miss, IRIS and SONAR.
- Provide technical support in the assessment of new contract manufacturing sites, as well as for mergers and acquisitions, performing needed capability assessment for new manufacturing platforms, and ensuring appropriate design quality and food safety principles have been implemented.
- Partner with R&D, SC and GP partners on supplier and material approvals and supplier performance management to drive food safety and quality.
- Liaison with BU Supply chain and R&D teams to Identify, plan and support capability development programs for the BU to support effective implementation of all FS & QA programs and standards.
- Support the implementation of “Centers of Excellence” (e.g. Micro CoE, sanitation CoE, etc.) being developed by the Sector QA team where we promote blend of theoretical and in-plant practical learning.
- Effectively collaborate with region Director SRA and the team to understand and integrate region country specific food safety related developments into the innovations for foods and beverages ensuring to meet local standards.
- Advocate execution of global programs at BU and drive role of FSQA connector to Business Unit and Global functi