Quality Assurance Specialist, Japan

As QA Specialist - Japan, you will have the opportunity to be a part of the Global Operations – Quality team to support our North Asia customers.

You will ensure alignment with corporate quality processes in the region, including warehouse facilities and tollers, and provide quality support for the North Asia commercial team.

About You

We’re looking to recruit an experienced QA Specialist - Japan reporting to the Technical Quality Support Manager based in Singapore. 

This is a varied role for a person with a strong grounding in quality & safety knowledge and strong communication (English & Japanese) skills.

About Us

Tate & Lyle's purpose, Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food, inspires everything we do. Whether it’s by making food and drink healthier and tastier; continuously improving how we work; promoting a safe working environment; or making a difference in our local communities, we believe we can successfully grow our business and have a positive impact on society.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Responsibilities include providing technical resources to customers, responding to quality-related customer requests and resolving quality and technical-related issues with customers, such as providing technical information to customers concerning quality requests.

• Completes customer questionnaires and surveys.

• ​Negotiate specification differences with customers.

• Issue or approve continuing guarantees, quality agreements, special customer quality or shipping requirements.
• Issue or approve quality certifications for regulatory compliance, GMO status and potential product impurities.
• Coordinate inquiries to regional regulatory authorities and consultants and disseminate information locally and to corporate regulatory; initiate/coordinate changes as appropriate.
• Coordinates customer audits
• Shelf-life extension requests

• Provides and maintains product information such as customer specifications, nutritional data, safety data sheet/ SDS, technical data, regulatory compliance, quality audits, religious certifications, and export classifications.

• Assist T&L North Asia commercial team with process troubleshooting for quality-related issues and/or complaint resolution. Ensure products with potential food safety issues are immediately restricted in the system to prevent further distribution.

• Provide Sales/ Technical/ Product Management/ Customer Service support to customers for complaints and quality-related issues. Train the team on quality programs to ensure they can knowledgeably address customer questions.

• Works closely with Sales and Customer Service related to customer/ product issues and responds to customer complaints, including approving product returns, and determining the disposition of returned products and rejected products on quality issues.

• Assist in the troubleshooting of test methods with Corporate Quality - Analytic Group.

• Effectively interact with Manufacturing/ Production, Application Regulatory and Technical Service teams to help introduce new products.

• Assist in the translation of documents to expedite Technical Quality support when needed.

• Foster continuous improvement of local departmental SOPs via local QA/QC team.

• Conduct warehouse and toller audits and verify the effectiveness of internal and external audits’ corrective actions.

• Working with Procurement, Supply Chain and internal Quality Supplier Management programs to ensure compliance with quality requirements by North Asia suppliers and tollers.

• Perform results review, recording and batch release of products manufactured by Japan tollers.

• Lead the development and execution of local training programs that support the Company’s objectives concerning quality and food safety via local QA/QC team.

• SAP resource to the business and the sites for quality issues.

• And other duties as assigned.

EHS

• Perform, maintain and improve the EHS standards and requirements as set by the Company.  Participate in the company’s EHS program including training, audit etc., arranged by the company.

Location

This role is assigned to our Tokyo office located at Shinbashi.

What You’ll have

• BS degree in related science field, or 5 – 10 years of years related work experience.

• Minimum 5 years experience in QA/QC, preferably in the food industry

• Knowledge of food safety norms (GFSI:  BRC, FSSC 22000).

• Knowledge of applicable food legislation.

• Minimum five years working in a quality and regulatory-focused job.

• Demonstrated management, customer complaint handling and audit experience.

• Demonstrated ability to proficiently use Microsoft Office basic tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint and SAP QM modules.

• Knowledge in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma

• Able to negotiate and achieve practical and sustainable solutions to issues across all related plants and products

• Strong communication skills in English & Japanese (Spoken & written)

What We Can Offer  

• Base salary + Transport Reimbursement + Performance Bonus

• Medical & Hospital Insurance coverage

• Flexible benefits

• LinkedIn Learning

• Membership to Employee Resource Groups (Professional Women’s Network, LGBTQ+, Black Employee Network, Veterans’, Mental Health)

• Mental health and well-being support via Mental Health First Aiders & Employee Assistance Program

• Local volunteering opportunities (where applicable)

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Tate & Lyle is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.