Quality Assurance/Quality Control Chief - Phosphatic Fertilizers

About our Client

- Our client is a Rs 13K Crore Organization engaged in manufacture and distribution of agri inputs; it is head-quartered in Hyderabad and is a part of a VERY HIGHLY reputed Chennai-based Group

- Client manufactures phosphatic fertilizers in THREE units in South India; distributes its products all over India; has a VERY DOMINANT sales position in States of AP, TG, KAR, TN

- Client manufactures single super phosphate in several units all over India

About the role

- Role under discussion is for fertilizer division which contributes Rs 9K Crores to Organization's revenue

- Position reports to Divisional Head (@EVP level) of Manufacturing, who, in turn, reports to BU Head; heads of plant quality report into this position

- To support his endeavours, help is available internally from teams dealing with Technology, R&D, TQM etc; and externally from subject matter experts, universities & institutions, research institutes, national and international fertiliser associations with whom Organization has on-going tie-ups or fresh ones can be easily tied up

Candidate Profile

- M Sc Chemistry or PhD in Chemistry; preferably with Certification or MBA in Quality Management

- Knowledgeable in Six Sigma & Lean Six Sigma principles

Purpose of the role

- Ensure customer satisfaction through CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT in product quality;

- Institutionalize processes of quality assurance; drive tasks for ensuring product quality is accorded priority & focus warranted

- Ensure market leadership through contemporary and benchmarked quality processes

Strategic roles

- Seek or track data analyse, evaluate gaps that Organization has to plug to ensure continuous assurance of quality;

(A) From market (of customers, competition, directly or through colleagues in relevant departments)

(B) From operations (sourcing, transportation, receipt, handling, storage, processing etc)

- Accordingly, appraise, plan, discuss (with marketing, R&D, Manufacturing and others) for investments, as needed, for continuous assurance of quality through upgrading of

(1) Technology (process, equipment etc)

(2) Materials (vendors, partners, service providers),

(3) Employees

- Audit, review achievement of outcomes in relation to what has been envisaged; initiate needed corrective and preventive actions

- Prepare OpEx and CapEx budgets to achieve specific business objectives

- Strengthen TQM, QMS and such other management systems

Operational roles

- Lead development & effective implementation for improving quality management systems viz., QMS, TQM, PSMS

- Create an ecosystem to improve product quality & sensitivity towards maintaining high quality standards through use of 7 QC tools, SPC, Six Sigma and Kaizen etc

- Provide quality leadership and support in development of new products and processes; support troubleshooting while resolving critical technical issues related to method development, product failures, customer complaints and plant operations

- Collaborate with marketing team support in addressing and reduction of field-related complaints

- Interface with customers, suppliers, partners, and internal stakeholders to enhance their perception and understanding of product quality and systems

- Head quality system related activities for products and processes for continuous improvements

- Develop and implement new quality initiatives and strategic projects to continually improve overall quality of products

- Oversee that plant QA / QC professionals are complying with QMS, SOPs pertaining to RM, intermediate and finished goods;

- Provide guidelines to unit QA for closing gaps in quality processes, monitoring and reporting results

- Oversee and ensure that chemical analysis, instrument calibration is done timely and accurately

- As needed, review, develop, discuss and rollout improved SOPs; ensure compliance

- Facilitate quality audits and inspections to demonstrate compliance to FCO standards and process specifications