Job Description

Location: Corporate Office (Regular travel to kitchens, venues, LifeCo sites & events)

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Department: Quality, Health, Safety & Environment

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Reporting To: Business Head / Head – Culinary & Operations

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About the Role

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We are looking for an experienced Head – Quality, Health, Safety & Environment (QHSE) to lead food safety, quality, workplace safety and environmental compliance across Catering Collective's Banquets & Catering and LifeCo operations.

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The role is responsible for setting clear standards, checking their implementation, closing gaps quickly and supporting operations to deliver secure, compliant and consistent food service.

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Key Responsibilities:

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QHSE Leadership:

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- Own QHSE standards, SOPs, audit formats and compliance controls for venue kitchens, central kitchens, outdoor catering events, warehouses and LifeCo sites.
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- Ensure compliance with FSSAI requirements, client standards and applicable health, fire, labour-safety and local authority requirements.
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- Implement HACCP-based controls for receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, dispatch, transport and service.
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- Monitor food temperatures, shelf life, labelling, traceability, FIFO/FEFO, allergen controls, vegetarian/non-vegetarian segregation, sanitation and personal hygiene.
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- Conduct planned and surprise audits, classify findings by risk, issue corrective actions and verify closure.
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- Investigate food complaints, suspected foodborne illness, accidents, near misses and serious deviations; complete root-cause analysis and preventive action.
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- Coordinate food, water and surface testing; review reports and ensure timely action on adverse results.
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- Maintain the compliance calendar, licences, certificates, food-handler medical fitness records, pest-control records and other statutory documentation.
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- Train chefs, kitchen teams, service teams, stewarding, warehouse staff, drivers, supervisors and outsourced manpower on practical QHSE requirements.
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- Prepare concise weekly and monthly reports covering critical risks, audit scores, incidents, complaints, overdue actions and support required from management.
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Banquets & Outdoor Catering

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- Complete pre-event risk checks for temporary kitchens, utilities,



fire safety, food holding, hand-wash facilities, waste disposal and emergency readiness.
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- Check dispatch hygiene, vehicle condition, cold-chain controls and food-receipt temperatures at the venue.
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- Monitor live counters, buffets, back-of-house areas and safe use of LPG, electrical equipment, induction units, tandoors and chafing fuel.
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- Ensure external food vendors and outsourced counters follow Catering Collective standards before and during service.
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- Review event deviations and ensure corrective actions are closed before the next event.
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LifeCo Operations

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- Implement site-level QHSE controls for corporate cafeterias, food courts and institutional catering locations.
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- Conduct routine inspections covering production, service, replenishment, pantry operations, equipment hygiene and peak meal-period controls.
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- Coordinate with client administration, facilities and EHS teams; manage client audits and close observations with evidence.
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- Review consumer complaints and recurring service issues and share a monthly site performance report.
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Workplace Safety & Environment

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- Identify and control risks related to burns, cuts, slips, falls, manual handling, chemicals, electrical systems, gas banks, heat exposure and temporary event setups.
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- Ensure use of PPE, first-aid readiness, safe work practices, emergency response and incident reporting.
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- Drive practical controls for food-waste reduction, waste segregation, used-oil disposal, water and energy conservation, chemical handling and reduced single-use plastic.
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Vendor & Supply Quality

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- Support vendor approval through risk assessment, site audits and review of licences, testing and hygiene controls.
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- Set incoming material checks for quality, temperature, packaging, labelling, shelf life and cold-chain compliance.
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- Raise supplier non-conformities and coordinate corrective action with SCM, Culinary and Operations.
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Authority

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- Stop production, dispatch or service where there is an immediate food-safety or safety risk.
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- Reject unsafe or non-compliant material and recommend temporary closure of unsafe equipment or operating areas.
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- Escalate critical or repeated violations directly to senior management and require documented corrective action.
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- Permit restart only after the risk has been controlled and corrective action has been verified.
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Qualifications & Experience

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- Graduate or postgraduate qualification in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, Hotel Management, Environmental Health, Occupational Safety or a related field.
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- HACCP certification is required. FSSAI Food Safety Supervisor and internal-auditor certification are preferred.
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- Working knowledge of ISO 22000; exposure to ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 is desirable.
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- 8–12 years of relevant experience, including at least 3–5 years in a managerial or multi-location role within hospitality, catering, institutional food service, central kitchens or large-scale food production.
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Skills & Behaviour

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- Strong practical knowledge of food safety, hygiene, audits, risk assessment and root-cause analysis.
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- Firm, fair and collaborative approach with chefs, operations teams, clients and vendors.
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- Clear reporting, training and communication skills with strong follow-through on corrective actions.
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- Comfortable working at kitchens, warehouses, client sites and events, including weekends or irregular hours when required.
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First 90 Days

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- Complete a baseline review of all locations, licences and high-risk gaps.
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- Standardise core audit checklists, incident reporting and CAPA tracking.
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- Launch priority training and establish monthly location-wise QHSE scorecards.
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- Present a practical 12-month improvement plan to management.
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Role Success

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Success in this role means that operations remain legally compliant, food-safety and workplace risks are controlled, critical issues are escalated early, corrective actions are closed on time and site teams take day-to-day ownership of QHSE standards.

📌 Quality Assurance Manager (Mumbai)
🏢 Catering Collective
📍 Mumbai