Job Description : PIC3 Certified QC Specialist

Function: Fresh Fruit & Vegetables (F&V)
Reports to: Supervisor
Function: Quality Control / Operations
Role type: Specialist Support
Additional role: Learning & Development Resource

Role Purpose

Oversee day-to-day fresh-produce quality control activities across inbound receiving, storage and dispatch, while serving as a specialist Learning & Development resource for operational associates. The role supports the Supervisor through technical quality guidance, training, records and escalation; it is not a direct associate-management role.

Mandatory Prerequisites

• Valid PIC3 Certification – mandatory. Applications without PIC3 certification will not meet the role prerequisite.
• Hands-on Fruit & Vegetable industry experience covering fresh-produce grading, handling, quality assessment and acceptance standards.
• Practical understanding of produce defects, temperature control, hygiene, traceability and food-safety documentation.
• Ability to train operational associates and communicate product-acceptability decisions clearly and consistently.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory & Food-Safety Compliance

• Ensure all required inbound, storage, dispatch and GMP activities are updated daily in the Dubai Municipality Foodwatch / DM Checked portal.
• Enforce food-safety, hygiene and temperature-control requirements throughout the fresh-produce flow.
• Block expired products from entering the cross-dock flow and escalate non-compliance immediately.
• Audit segregation controls for ethylene-sensitive items, strong-odour products, ready-to-eat products and allergens.

Inbound, Dock & Receiving Quality Control

• Ensure dock-level sampling and receiving-station checks are completed to standard, including vehicle GMP, temperature, cleanliness, label scanning and critical produce defects.
• Verify products visually against the product image displayed on the scanner and guide receiving associates on acceptability.
• Document PO discrepancies with timestamp and user alias, supported by clear photographs and inspection evidence.
• Track inbound volume and rejection data, including quantity rejected at dock and at UTR.

Produce Grading, Defect Analysis & Dispatch Assurance

• Set and uphold grading standards and oversee consistent prime-versus-reject segregation.
• Assist with destructive analysis for internal-defect-prone SKUs; apply the approved sample size and record and photograph results.
• Address downstream quality constraints and provide technical guidance on fresh-produce handling and disposition.
• Conduct random dispatch audits covering pre-cooling, palletisation and product condition.

Vendor Quality & Escalation

• Conduct weekly vendor quality reviews using inspection, discrepancy and rejection data.
• Identify recurring or systemic quality failures and escalate them to the Supervisor for vendor follow-up and corrective action.
• Maintain an auditable record of vendor quality trends, decisions and follow-up actions.

Training, Calibration & Records

• Conduct shift- or schedule-based daily kick-start meetings and quality training for associates.
• Act as an L&D resource for F&V handling, operational processes, grading, defects, food safety and quality standards.
• Perform internal calibration of scales, thermometers and other devices in line with SOPs; record findings and maintain the calibration logbook.
• Maintain complete QC records and management reporting for traceability, operational review and audit purposes.

Required Knowledge & Competencies

• Fresh-produce grading, critical and internal defects, shelf-life assessment and reject segregation.
• Cold-chain controls, receiving and dispatch inspection, vehicle GMP and produce handling.
• Dubai Municipality portal discipline and audit-ready quality documentation.
• Structured sampling, photographic evidence, data accuracy and root-cause thinking.
• Clear coaching, floor-level training, confident decision-making and disciplined escalation.
• Ability to work across shifts in an operational warehouse and chilled environment.

Key Responsibility Summary