We are looking for a QC Manager to join the Vitablend Quality team based in Singapore.
About Vitablend (Part of Barentz)
Vitablend, part of Barentz, develops and produces nutritional premixes and antioxidant systems for food, feed and personal care applications. Vitablend operates production facilities in the Netherlands, the United States and Singapore.
About this role
Purpose: The QC Manager is responsible for leading and strengthening the Quality Control function in Vitablend Singapore. The role ensures that raw materials (RM), semi-finished products and finished goods (FG) are tested, reviewed and released in a timely and compliant manner, in accordance with internal standards, customer requirements, FSSC 22000 food safety system requirements and applicable regulatory expectations.
This role is critical to stabilising QC TAT, RM / FG release governance, deviation / OOS handling, customer-specific release requirements and laboratory coordination. The QC Manager will progressively rebuild local QC capability and reduce routine daily dependency on HQ Quality, while keeping HQ Quality as technical escalation and specialist support where required.
Core tasks
QC governance and RM / FG release
- Lead the local QC function and act as the main local QC governance owner for VB SG.
- Oversee RM / FG testing, result review, release readiness and escalation to support production continuity and customer commitments.
- Ensure routine in-spec release cases are handled consistently, and non-routine cases are reviewed with the appropriate stakeholders.
- Review and escalate borderline results, abnormalities, complaint-related checks, customer-specific considerations and OOS-related situations.
- Work closely with QA, Production, Supply Chain, Customer Service, NPD and HQ Quality to align release decisions, priorities and escalation routes.
- Maintain clear escalation rules and ensure proper documentation of release decisions and non-routine case handling.
Food safety, FSSC 22000 and compliance
- Ensure QC activities, laboratory practices and release processes support the site food safety management system, including FSSC 22000, HACCP / risk-based controls, GMP, hygiene and contamination prevention requirements.
- Promote food safety awareness and quality mindset within the QC team and ensure team members understand how QC checks support safe product release.
- Ensure QC records, test results, COA-related information and release documents are accurate, complete, traceable and audit-ready.
- Support internal and external audits, including preparation of QC evidence, closure of audit observations and implementation of corrective actions.
- Ensure safe handling, storage and disposal of samples, chemicals and laboratory waste in line with company safety and hygiene requirements.
Laboratory operations and testing coordination
- Manage day-to-day QC laboratory activities, including sample flow, testing priorities, external laboratory coordination and result follow-up.
- Monitor QC TAT and identify bottlenecks affecting RM / FG release timing.
- Support improvement of physical checks, sieve checks, powder mixing / dissolution checks, solubility / appearance checks, black particle checks and investigation comparisons.
- Ensure QC equipment, consumables, calibration and laboratory housekeeping are properly managed.
- Support future planning for in-house analytical capability, including restarting HPLC testing and evaluating suitable tests to bring in-house, such as nucleotide testing where technically validated and approved, to improve TAT, result control and testing cost.
Deviation, OOS and investigation support
- Lead or support QC-related investigations, deviations, abnormalities and OOS cases.
- Ensure appropriate containment, escalation, documentation and follow-up actions for non-routine quality issues.
- Participate in problem-solving discussions for production issues, customer complaints and product release concerns.
- Work with QA and HQ Quality on OOS review, technical assessment and final disposition where required.
Documentation and knowledge management
- Build and maintain a structured QC knowledge base for VB SG.
- Document customer-specific release expectations, product-specific handling requirements, historical practices, borderline result handling and communication rules.
- Reduce individual dependency by ensuring QC knowledge is properly captured, centralised and institutionalised.
- Review and improve QC SOPs, work instructions, checklists and release practices.
People leadership and team development
- Lead, coach and develop the local QC team, including QC Executive, QC Technician(s), Chemist and interns where applicable.
- Build a stable, supportive and accountable QC working environment with clear ownership and handover.
- Assign priorities, monitor workload and support proper onboarding and training of new QC team members.
- Work with HR and the Plant Director on team development, retention and future QC structure.
About You
- Degree or Diploma in Chemistry, Food Science, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Science or a related scientific discipline.
- Minimum 5 to 8 years of relevant QC / laboratory experience, preferably in food ingredients, premix, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical or related manufacturing environment.
- Prior experience in a QC leadership, laboratory supervisor or QC manager role is preferred.
- Working knowledge or practical exposure to FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, HACCP, GMP, food safety, hygiene and audit requirements is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of RM / FG release, laboratory testing, COA review, deviations and OOS handling.
- Experience with HPLC or analytical testing is an advantage.
- Experience with external laboratory coordination, customer-specific requirements and food safety / quality systems is preferred.
- Strong communication skills in English, both verbal and written.
- Able to work cross-functionally with QA, Production, Supply Chain, Customer Service, NPD and HQ Quality.
- Strong ownership, judgement, problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
- Able to build structure, improve workflow and stabilise a developing QC function.
- Candidates must be eligible to work in Singapore; this role does not provide sponsorship.
