مدير جودة زراعية

Post-Harvest Quality & Packhouse Operations

• Establish, implement, and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for reception, grading, sorting, treatment, packing, and cold storage for Grapes and Citrus.

• Oversee quality control checks at receiving points (Brix levels, firmness, sizing, color, defects, and physiological disorders).

• Manage post-harvest treatments (e.g., fungicides, wax applications for citrus, sulfur dioxide $\text{SO}_2$ pads/treatments for grapes) ensuring correct dosage and compliance with target market regulations.

• Audit and validate packhouse packing lines to minimize mechanical damage, optimize pack-out ratios, and prevent post-harvest decay (e.g., Botrytis in grapes, Penicillium in citrus).

Cold Chain & Logistics Quality Assurance

• Monitor temperature, humidity, and airflow conditions across pre-cooling chambers, cold stores, and container loading areas.

• Conduct container inspections (cleanliness, pre-cooling, logger placement) prior to dispatch for sea or air freight export.

• Analyze shelf-life trial data and arrival quality reports to identify root causes of degradation during transit.

Outsource & Farm Quality Oversight

• Conduct routine quality audits at outsourced packhouses to enforce company quality benchmarks and packing standards.

• Perform pre-harvest field quality assessments and maturity testing at contracted farms to schedule harvest windows accurately.

• Coordinate sample collection for chemical residue (MRL) and heavy metal testing prior to harvesting/packing.

Standards, Compliance & Food Safety

• Maintain and audit food safety certifications (e.g., GLOBALG.A.P. IFA/CoC, BRCGS, ISO 22000, SMETA).

• Manage traceability systems from farm block to final customer box.

• Lead customer/third-party audits and oversee non-conformance reports (NCRs), corrective actions (CAPA), and root-cause analyses.

Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Direct and mentor QA/QC supervisors and line inspectors across all active packhouses.

• Deliver continuous training on defect identification, grading standards, and hygiene practices.

• Track monthly Quality KPIs (e.g., Rejection Rates, Pack-out %, Claim Rates) and present actionable improvement strategies to senior leadership.

Requirements

1. Education & Background

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Science, Post-Harvest Technology, Food Science, Agriculture Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Advanced training or certification in Post-Harvest Management of subtropical/deciduous fruits is highly desirable.

2. Work Experience

• 6–10 years of hands-on quality management experience in fresh produce post-harvest operations.

• Direct experience with Table Grapes and Citrus fruits is essential (understanding maturity indices, physiological disorders, storage conditions, and market specs for EU, UK, GCC, and Asia).

• Demonstrated experience managing quality across multi-site packhouses and external supplier/grower farms.

3. Technical & Regulatory Certifications

• Certified Lead/Internal Auditor for GLOBALG.A.P. and BRCGS Food Safety.

• Strong knowledge of MRL regulations, phytosanitary requirements, and export standards.

• Familiarity with cold chain management equipment, data loggers, and controlled atmosphere storage.

4. Core Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, decision-making, and audit management skills.

• Excellent problem-solving capabilities under high-pressure seasonal harvesting peaks.

• Proficiency in MS Office / ERP systems for quality data logging and analysis.

• Languages: Fluent in Arabic; Professional working proficiency in English (essential for customer reports and international audit compliance).

Working Conditions & Physical Demands:

• Location & Mobility: Based in Wadi El Natrun with regular travel between the 3 primary packhouses, external outsourced packhouses, and contracted farms.

• Seasonality & Hours: Extended working hours, weekend shifts, and high operational intensity during peak harvest seasons (Grape season ~May to July; Citrus season ~November to April).

• Environment: Alternating environments between high-temperature outdoor field conditions, ambient packhouse floors, and low-temperature cold rooms ($0^\circ\text{C}$ to $12^\circ\text{C}$).

• Vehicle & Travel: Requires a valid driver's license for frequent travel between farm sites and facilities.