Operations Quality Manager Whey Plant

Fixed Term Contract

Tirlán

Tirlán, is a world-class food and nutrition co-operative, with a diverse portfolio of quality ingredients, leading consumer and agri brands.

Tirlán owns leading brands such as Avonmore, Kilmeaden Cheese, Millac, Solmiko, Truly Grass Fed, Premier Milk, Wexford, mymilkman.ie and GAIN Animal Nutrition.

We nurture a talented team across Ireland, the US, MEA and China, delivering annual revenues of over €3 billion, and over 2,300 people to manage our network of 11 processing plants and 52 agri branches. Our purpose is to nourish the world, while safeguarding our environment for future generations.

Reporting to the Whey Plant Manager, Ballyragget, the overall purpose of this role is to drive the elimination of defects against Whey Plants quality standard across all functions. This is a lead role in driving a ‘right first time’ culture and performance in the Whey plant by ensuring that Tirlán’s Ballyragget Whey processes and operations meet customer requirements. The role will involve collaboration with all functions to continuously improve performance to quality standard and to drive all CAPA (corrective and preventative actions) to timely completion.  

Key Responsibilities

• Leading Quality Management activities across Plant Operations
• Audit quality practices and processes within the plant focusing on the prevention of deviations
• Ownership of plant CAPA process including assignment of effective RCA’s (root cause actions) for all process deviations to the appropriate owners and driving these action owners to deliver robust CAPA to agreed timelines. Deviations include:-
• Plant events
• Out of specification QC in-process and finished product results
• Customer complaints
• Audit actions both internal and external
• OPRP deviations
• Drive the daily evaluation of quality targets and standards and work with function heads to ensure systems are in place to deliver zero defects to the Whey Plant standard.
• Lead role in the daily review of QC data to establish trends and eliminate OOS issues before they arise. Key responsibility to ensure the quality and production teams are fully aligned on all in process and finished product specifications.
• Ensure employees are trained to the correct standard to carry out their full range of duties in Quality Assurance, Quality control and Food Safety
• Oversee CCP’s & QCP’s verification
• Assure process alerts and run times aligned with Product specification delivery
• Customer audit support
• Drive Environmental standard compliance through cleaning programme management and enabling zoning compliance
• Direct & collaborate with cleaning team lead  to deliver hygiene & environmental standards.
• Support GMP knowledge development and action/impact insight for all operations support personnel (operations, maintenance, contractor and cleaning personnel)
• Quality communication development aligned with embedding a quality focussed culture in plant
• Work closely with other business units in Tirlán in delivering quality processes with respect to customers, production and suppliers   

Key Requirements:

• Degree in Science, Engineering or equivalent ideally.
• Experience in a large Dairy, Food or Pharmaceutical company with relevant experience in Quality Assurance, Food Safety & Process Improvement in an operational environment
• Aptitude for operational processes, working with cross- functional teams, Lean and continuous improvement
• Experience in Auditing and facilitating Corrective Action, preferably in a Dairy / Food production environment
• Demonstrate high technical ability and attention to detail to do the job at a high level of accomplishment
• Computer literate (Microsoft Office suite & a working knowledge of SAP). Working knowledge of IQS/MES an advantage
• Strong communications with multi-functional  stakeholders
• Knowledge of Dairy products, processes and recipes an advantage
• Possesses motivational skills oriented towards encouraging people’s best performance possible

About us

Through our expertise in research and development, customer insights, food safety and state-of-the-art manufacturing we bring innovative food and nutrition solutions to a global market.  Our new and vibrant headquarters in Kilkenny City operates as a collaboration hub where multi-functional teams come together in a hybrid work environment.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We believe in the value of difference. We know that different perspectives, life experience and backgrounds can drive innovation and deliver growth.

We welcome people from all walks of life without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, or disability status. 

Join our Talent Pool

Considering a new career in Tirlán but this isn’t the role for you? Join our talent community and sign up for job notifications at www.tirlan.com/careers

Tirlán is a Values Based Organisation