Technical Manager: Food, Forestry and Agriculture Schemes

**Company Description**
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of 99,500 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance, and sustainability.
**Job Description** Responsibilities**
- Coordinate the strategic direction and management system, set by the different auditing standards and scheme requirements.
- The function will implement, manage, monitor the effective implementation of the relevant accreditation requirements, SGS global and local requirements.
- Maintain the required accreditations; coordinate and ensure external audits are executed.
- Conduct regular internal audits to assess compliance to the management system requirements.
- Improve management systems, processes, and best practices to enhance effectiveness and quality.
- Monitor and supervise the processes to ensure compliance to the management system requirements.
- Manage and monitor the organization’s utilization of resources in compliance to the management system requirements.
- Manage and supervise the technical workforce, including task allocation, setting deadlines, and monitoring performance.
- Management of the competency of auditors, ensure support to Operations Managers and continually work on qualifying new auditing resources. Ensure appropriate records are uploaded and maintained.
- Coordinate and provide training to auditors, sales staff and operational staff when required and ensure that training programmers are established annually to cover refresher training and training on changes and new requirements.
- Ensure resources have the required tools to execute tasks according to the company Management System requirements and policies.
- Conduct technical reviews, contract reviews, proposal technical approvals, certificate decisions and technical approvals in the relevant area of expertise.
- Formulate strategic and technical objectives aligned with organizational goals.
- Analyze technical data to identify opportunities for improving quality.
- Perform quality controls and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure consistent, high-quality and compliant output according to requirements.
- Coordinate corrective action implementation to improve systems.
- Prepare monthly business commentary reports, status reports of service delivery and execution.
- Implementation of and compliance with the SGS Management System requirements.
- Work closely with operations and support services (Operations, Sales, KAM, HR, Finance, IT, Procurement).
- Development of customized audit protocols, as per customer requirements.
- Attend management meetings.
- Keep abreast of competitors and market developments.
- Keep abreast of changes to standards, management systems, procedures and communicate changes effectively.
- Provide technical support in new business development.
- Identify opportunities that will support the business's strategy and the active promotion of SGS services.
- Achieve set KPI’s.
- Maintain Lead Auditor status and qualifications in one or more certification standards.
- Business travel.
- Client liaison.

**Qualifications**
- Matric
- Tertiary qualification in relevant field.
- Extensive knowledge of regulatory standards and country legal frameworks.

**Additional Information** Required Skills and Experience**
- 5 yrs. experience in technical management.
- 5 yrs. experience in people management.
- 5 yrs. experience working in industry, implementing and managing management systems.
- Management systems certification lead auditing experience.
- Successful completion of recognized Lead Auditor Management Systems course.
- Relevant technical training and successful completion of courses in management systems.
- Experience in ISO management systems.
- Experience in customer service and liaison.
- Excellent computer literacy.
- Excellent English communication: Speaking, reading, writing.
- Able to interact with all levels of management, suppliers, and clients.
- Communication skills - Effective verbal and written communication to convey information, collaborate with teams, and interact with stakeholders.
- Organizational skills - Excellent organizational skills for managing tasks, coordinating resources, and ensuring compliance within the organization.
- Problem solving - Strong problem-solving abilities to analyse complex situations, identify issues, and develop effective solutions. Applies judgment and acts according to the SGS standards of ethics and integrity.
- Analytical thinking - The ability to think analytically for interpreting data, identifying trends, and making data-driven decisions to improve set KPI’s and standards.
- Attention to detail - Having a keen eye for detail to identify potential system non-conforman