Vendor Audit (Staples / Grocery Quality) Manager

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Quality Audits

• Plan and execute periodic vendor audits for loose and packaged grocery suppliers.
• Evaluate vendors on:
• Quality systems
• Food safety practices
• Hygiene standards
• Infrastructure adequacy
• Process controls
• Packaging standards
• Traceability systems
• Storage and dispatch practices
• Develop audit scorecards and vendor grading mechanisms.

Compliance & Food Safety

• Ensure vendor compliance with:
• FSSAI requirements
• Legal metrology norms
• Internal quality standards
• Packaging and labelling regulations
• HACCP / GMP / GHP practices
• Monitor corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) post audits.

Vendor Development

• Work closely with procurement, sourcing, and operations teams to improve vendor capability.
• Conduct vendor training and awareness programs on quality standards and food safety.
• Support onboarding and qualification of new vendors.

Product Quality Governance

• Drive quality consistency across:
• Cereals, Breakfast cereals and Grains
• Pulses and Dals
• Sugar and Sweeteners
• Floors and Milling Products
• Dry fruits and Nuts
• Spices and Masalas/Branded Masalas
• Powder Spices
• Salt and Seasonings
• Regional Staple
• Packaged grocery categories
• Monitor product specifications, sampling standards, and rejection trends.

Risk Management

• Identify high-risk vendors and implement improvement roadmaps.
• Reduce customer complaints, quality deviations, and supply inconsistencies.
• Support recall management and root cause investigations where required.

Reporting & Analytics

• Prepare audit MIS, vendor performance dashboards, and quality trend analysis.
• Present audit findings and improvement recommendations to management.
• Track vendor quality KPIs and closure timelines.

Cross Functional Coordination

• Coordinate with:
• Sourcing
• Supply Chain
• Warehousing
• Repacking Units
• Quality Labs
• Ensure alignment of vendor quality objectives with business goals.