Senior Quality Executive

Company Description

phab was created to answer the question of why we must choose between healthy and tasty snacks. Led by a nutritionist, our team includes scientists and food enthusiasts dedicated to making snacking both healthy and delicious. Our mission is to promote better snacking habits without compromising on taste by focusing on protein-rich snacks. We offer a range of products including milkshakes, energy bars, granola bars, superfood bombs, and protein powders. Our products contain no trans fats, GMOs, or harmful sugars, and can be found in major grocery stores and online marketplaces across India.

Role Description

As the Senior Quality Executive for our food-FMCG business (protein bars, protein milkshakes, granola etc.), you will be responsible for ensuring our contract manufacturing units (CMUs), distribution network and retail outlets adhere to the highest quality, food safety, hygiene and brand standards. You will work closely with production, supply chain, R&D / new product development, distribution and channel teams to train staff, build robust SOPs, monitor compliance, audit and investigate quality deviations, and generate management reports. Because we operate multiple CMUs and a broad distribution / retail footprint Pan - India, this role involves substantial travel, auditing, and field-work.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, implement, maintain and continuously improve the quality management system (QMS) at CMUs : including SOPs, work instructions, hygiene & sanitation protocols, calibration logs, traceability, internal audit checklists.

Monitor raw material, in-process and finished product quality for the categories (protein bars, shakes, granola) : perform inspections, sampling, coordinate lab tests, ensure compliance to specifications, shelf-life, stability.

Manage and resolve quality issues : lead root-cause analysis (RCA), corrective & preventive action (CAPA) plans, liaise with production / packaging / vendors to ensure timely resolution.

Conduct internal audits of CMUs and coordinate external audits (food safety / regulatory / customer audits) as required.

Train production & QA staff at CMUs on food safety, hygiene, good manufacturing practices (GMP), allergen control, traceability, documentation, equipment calibration.

Distributor & Retail Audits :

Plan and execute audits of our distribution centres and key retail outlets in the channel to ensure product handling, storage, shelf-life integrity, correct shelf display, temperature control (where required), packaging integrity, lot traceability, labeling, expiry management and brand compliance.

Evaluate distributor / retailer adherence to food safety and hygiene standards (especially for our perishable or sensitive formats like protein shakes) and raise non-conformances.

Ensure correct return / reject handling flows, stock-rotation (FIFO), product condition on shelf, and correct execution of promotional merchandising (for health-food segments).

Prepare audit reports for distribution & retail channel, highlight root causes of channel quality issues (e.g., damaged packaging during transport, expired-stock on shelf, improper storage) and implement CAPA with sales / distribution teams.

Generate periodic quality reports and dashboards for senior management : quality metrics (non-conformances, rejections, returns, audit findings), trends, improvement initiatives.

Support new product launches / formulation changes with quality input : review specifications, monitor shelf-life / stability, support validation activities.

Liaise with suppliers / vendors (raw materials, packaging) to ensure that inputs meet quality standards and documentation is maintained (specifications, certificates, vendor audits).

Travel to CMUs regularly, as well as major distributor / retail audit sites Pan - India On-site presence and oversight is essential.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, Dairy Technology or a related discipline.

Minimum 4 years of experience in Quality Control / Quality Assurance in the food / FMCG sector (experience with nutition bars, milkshakes products, ready-to-eat granola / health-foods is a plus).

Strong working knowledge of food safety / quality standards : e.g., HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, allergen management, regulatory frameworks (e.g., Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations).

Proven experience in SOP creation, quality documentation, training staff, audit processes (internal & external) — including channel audits (distributors / retailers).

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to perform root-cause analysis and implement CAPA effectively.

Good report-making and presentation skills : ability to translate data into dashboards and actionable insights for senior management.

Comfortable with frequent travel (states of Gujarat & Maharashtra, plus potentially other markets) and ability to work in manufacturing / distribution and retail environments.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work cross-functionally with production, packaging, R&D, supply chain, sales / distribution and vendors.

Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint) and exposure to quality management software or ERP systems is desirable.

Personal Attributes

Self-starter, proactive and able to work independently across multiple locations.

Detail-oriented but also capable of seeing the “big picture” of product quality, brand reputation and business goals.

Strong stakeholder management : comfortable dealing with CMU management, production teams, distribution / retail teams, external auditors, vendors.

Flexible and adaptable : manufacturing and distribution / retail environments can change, and travel may be irregular.

Passion for health / nutrition / functional food categories would be an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

% reduction in non-conformances / rejections at CMUs year-on-year.

% of auditor-identified issues in distributor / retail audits closed within defined timeframe.

Audit scores (internal CMU audits + distribution & retail audits) and timely closure of audit findings.

Training completion rate of CMU staff and channel personnel on quality & hygiene protocols.

Number of CAPAs closed within defined timeframe.

% of products meeting shelf-life / stability requirements without deviation.

Quality reporting timeliness and resolution of quality incidents and complaints across manufacturing and channel.

Level of channel compliance (stock-rotation, shelf conditions, expired product removal) as measured in audits.

Travel & Working Conditions

Frequent travel across our CMUs plus visits to distribution centres and selected retail outlets in states, possibly other regions as business expands.

On-site visits to manufacturing plants, distribution centres and retail outlets; may include production shift oversight, audits, training sessions, also observation of channel practices.

Office / reporting work at head-office plus remote oversight of CMUs and distribution / retail network.

What We Offer

An opportunity to lead quality function for a growing health-&-nutrition FMCG brand (protein bars, shakes, granola) with multiple manufacturing units and a growing distribution and retail footprint.

Exposure to manufacturing, quality systems, new product development, supply chain and channel (distribution + retail) in a dynamic environment.

Platform to build your career in the fast-moving health-food segment with significant growth potential.

Competitive compensation aligned with role and experience.

Travel, exposure to multiple states, plants, distribution and retail environments – ideal for someone looking to build a strong foundation in food quality for FMCG