Group Quality Manager - FMCG

Key Qualifications

• Solid experience in managing QA and QC in food production or similar.
• A natural leader with strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Knowledge of relevant standards such as IFS and FSSC, with additional familiarity in ecology, halal and kosher preferred.
• Experience with quality management systems, audits, management reporting, regulatory contacts, etc.
• High personal drive, engagement, and overview of complex areas.

Background
Harboes Bryggeri produces and sells beer, soft drinks as well as malt- and fruit-based ingredients and beverages. Beer and soft drinks are primarily produced at the breweries in Skælskør and the fully Harboe-owned Darguner Brauerei in Dargun, Germany. Both breweries bottle beverages in glass bottles, cans, and PET bottles, while Dargun is also filling draught beer. The malt-based ingredients and concentrates are exclusively produced in Skælskør.

The quality function must ensure compliance with quality expectations and requirements from all stakeholders. Work includes quality standards such as IFS and FSSC, as well as organic, halal, kosher, and Rainforest Alliance certifications. Additionally, the ingredient production follows a customer-driven "straw shortening" concept, while the mash production in Dargun follows the Futtermittel standard. Dargun is certified under the energy management standard ISO50001, with production in Skælskør following the same principles. The Harboe Group is not certified in occupational health standards but has implemented an internal system.

As Group Quality Manager, you will be responsible for approximately 10 employees, handling QA at both locations and QC in Skælskør. The quality function operates as a group function and participates in several cross-functional projects focusing on collaboration on relevant procedures and quality controls.

The position
The new Group Quality Manager will have managerial and operational responsibility for processes, systems, policies, initiatives, etc., across the quality domain. Your main task will be to ensure optimal product quality and food safety by continuously developing, implementing, and managing quality processes and systems. Additionally, it is vital that you can ensure a high level of motivation and dedication in your departments through hands-on management, employee involvement, and delegation of tasks and responsibilities.

You will play a crucial role in putting quality on the agenda across all levels of the value chain, including developing, implementing, and continually updating systems and procedures that ensure consistently high quality levels across products, processes, documentation, and behavior.

The area of responsibility covers both in-house products, ingredients, raw materials, and packaging, as well as quality-related aspects in production. You will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and, importantly, for ensuring that the quality area constructively addresses market needs and demands.

Main focus areas include

• Ensuring that the quality function’s tasks and areas of responsibility are prioritized and met according to quality objectives.
• Ensuring the highest possible food safety and product quality through implementing and developing quality management systems, preparing and implementing relevant procedures and control systems, and close cross-functional collaboration.
• Leading and managing the quality function both as a department head and as a quality representative in the management group and relevant project groups, including active participation in innovation and change processes.
• Ensuring compliance with standards like IFS and FSCC, including planning and conducting internal and external audits and following up on any deviations.
• Training the internal audit team in Skælskør and conducting internal audits among colleagues within the Harboe group.
• Close dialogue with all production areas and root cause analysis of deviations.
• Ensuring that complaints are handled professionally and promptly, documented, and registered correctly.
• Identifying and reporting deviations from quality standards and procedures and providing thorough communication to production and quality management.
• Active participation in contract and agreement negotiations with suppliers and customers, focusing on quality requirements and standards.
• Contact with authorities and organizations concerning legislation, inspections, regulations, standards, etc., especially in relation to new developments and new markets.
• Active participation and leading role in tasks for extended producer responsibility, developing the processes and updating internal documentation
• Ongoing assurance that supply chain and suppliers adhere to hygiene and quality requirements through training and control (including HACCP).

The Candidate
You will be a central and value-adding part of our production and sales processes, where quality assurance is a key factor. It is therefore essential that you can engage in open and constructive interactions with colleagues and manage the quality responsibility with respect for the conditions and market circumstances of individual business units. This includes the ability to communicate and foster understanding and engagement behind quality optimization efforts and, not least, to be a motivating, developmental, and present leader for your team.

We are looking for a candidate who can maintain a sharp focus on ensuring that quality requirements and standards are met and continuously improved while actively working to develop and implement quality-assuring and improving processes across the company.

Specifically, it is crucial that you have solid experience with QA/QC in a food company or similar (e.g., ingredients or pharma), including experience with HACCP principles, GMP, and certifications such as IFS and FSCC, as well as a familiarity with certifications like organic, kosher, halal, etc. You are accustomed to working with food legislation and regulatory requirements in various markets and have insights into specifications for raw materials, ingredients, etc.

We emphasize that your work style is committed, dynamic, and proactive, and that you are a present leader with a natural focus on wellbeing and motivation in your department. You possess strong analytical abilities and work in a structured, detailed, and logical manner. You are curious, proactive, engaging, communicative, and resilient with persistence.

A positive mindset, approachability, and communicative skills are essential, along with the ability to motivate others, even outside your formal leadership role. Finally, you must have a genuine desire to be part of the unique Harboe culture, where values such as humility, hunger, and intelligence are pivotal in daily collaboration.

Additional information
Competitive fixed salary + pension, health insurance, IT.
Ideally located within a reasonable distance of the headquarters in Skælskør.
Some travel related to the QA responsibility in Dargun should be expected.

CV/Application
To protect personal data, please ensure that the documents you submit with your application do not contain sensitive personal information, such as your CPR number or information on health conditions, ethnic background, political or religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc.