SHEQ Junior Manager

The SHEQ Manager is responsible for establishing, leading, and maintaining Kerston Foods' Health & Safety, Environment, Food Safety, and Quality systems. The role ensures compliance with legal, customer, and certification requirements (FSSC 22000, HACCP, OHS Act, Environmental Legislation & ECOVADIS). This position ensures safe food handling, product integrity, operational excellence, and workplace safety while driving continuous improvement across the organization.

Duties & Responsibilities

Supervisory

• Lead Health & Safety, Environment, Food Safety, and Quality initiatives.
• Provide guidance and oversight to all teams regarding SHEQ & Food Safety compliance.
• Conduct SHEQ and Food Safety training, toolbox talks, and coaching sessions.
• Supervise SHEQ staff or assistants (if applicable).
• Facilitate audit readiness and manage corrective action plans.
• Embed a culture of safety, cleanliness, quality, and compliance.
• Ensure ongoing readiness for customer, FSSC, ECOVADIS and regulatory audits.
• Support Operations, Warehouse, Procurement, and Quality teams with SHEQ alignment.

Receiving, Returns, and Warehouse Defective & Non-Conforming Stock Control.

• Oversee and monitor the handling of defective and non-conforming stock in the warehouse.
• Ensure all returned, damaged, expired, or compromised stock is correctly identified, isolated, labelled, documented and discarded of .
• Conduct food safety and quality checks on all returns and defective products, including verification of temperature abuse, packaging integrity, and contamination risks.
• Ensure correct procedures for segregation of high-risk, quarantined, or unsafe products.
• Lead investigations into non-conforming stock trends and identify root causes.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for traceability of all non-conforming and returned products.
• Verify compliance with FSSC, HACCP, Ecovadis and legal food safety requirements for product handling and disposal.
• Strengthen controls over defective and non-conforming stock to prevent contamination, rework, or accidental reintroduction into sellable inventory.
• Reduce financial losses by improving accuracy in returns, damages, and non-conforming stock processes.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety and quality regulations concerning isolation, disposal, and corrective action processes.
• Support Finance, Sales, and Procurement through accurate categorization of defects, returns, and supplier-related non-conformance issues.

Quality Management

• Maintain and update the Quality Management System (QMS).
• Conduct internal audits, process inspections, and quality trend analysis.
• Manage customer complaints and conduct root cause analysis.
• Support process improvement and Six Sigma initiatives.

Environmental Management

• Implement environmental management policies ECOVADIS
• Monitor waste management, energy usage, and recycling programmes.
• Conduct environmental inspections and risk assessments.

Health and Safety

• Conduct HIRA, JSA/JHA, Bow-Tie Analysis, and safety risk assessments.
• Lead incident investigations and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Oversee emergency preparedness, PPE compliance, and safety training.
• Maintain OHS Act compliance and safety files.

Food Safety

• Maintain and manage Food Safety Systems (FSSC 22000, HACCP, PRPs, GMPs).
• Conduct daily, weekly, and monthly food safety inspections in all temperature zones.
• Ensure strict adherence to cold chain, hygiene standards, and allergen controls.
• Maintain accurate food safety records, version control, and documentation.
• Lead product recall simulations, traceability tests, and food defence activities.
• Train staff on food safety requirements, hygiene, product handling, and contamination prevention
• Ensure all operations meet or exceed food safety legal requirements.
• Protect product integrity and reduce food safety risks.
• Ensure audit readiness for FSSC, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Support Procurement with supplier food safety documentation and COA verification.