The Project

Within the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition", implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, sequa implements the SME Support Scheme, which targets growth-oriented SMEs in Rwanda. The project aims to facilitate business growth and job creation by enhancing the competitiveness, productivity, and market readiness of Rwandan SMEs, with a focus on women-owned businesses and decent work.

The SME Support Scheme supports selected medium-sized enterprises, including Milimani Enterprises Ltd, with growth and job creation potential. Milimani is a women-owned bakery ingredients manufacturer and food-solutions company based in Kigali. It serves bakeries, food producers, hotels/restaurants, and distributors with locally manufactured baking inputs, traded goods, and customer support services.

The scope of this assignment is to support Milimani in assessing, prioritizing, and addressing HACCP and food safety gaps in its current production, repackaging, storage, and dispatch processes. The expert is expected to prepare the company for HACCP certification.

Your Tasks / Responsibilities

• Review existing licenses, permits, SOPs, production and cleaning records, pest-control records, staff hygiene procedures, supplier documents, batch records, traceability, and complaint records;
• Conduct an on-site facility and process gap assessment covering raw material receiving, storage, processing/mixing, packaging, labeling, repackaging, finished goods storage, dispatch, sanitation, hygiene, pest control, waste, maintenance, allergen control, and recall readiness;
• Assess compliance against HACCP and relevant prerequisite programs, including Good Manufacturing/Hygiene Practices (GMP/GHP), sanitation, supplier approval, traceability, personnel hygiene, maintenance, calibration, and record-keeping;
• Prepare a practical HACCP/food safety gap report with risk rating, prioritized corrective actions, responsibilities, timelines, and distinction between quick fixes and investment-dependent actions;
• Support HACCP scope definition, process-flow verification, hazard analysis, and identification of critical controls or operational prerequisite programs for priority product lines;
• Develop or improve priority SOPs, checklists, and templates, including cleaning, hygiene, supplier approval, traceability, batch records, labeling checks, pest monitoring, corrective actions, complaints, recall, and internal audit tools;
• Train (in-person) Milimani's HACCP team and relevant operational staff on practical HACCP implementation, documentation, monitoring, corrective actions, traceability, and audit expectations;
• Conduct follow-up implementation support and one mock audit/pre-audit readiness review,
• Provide certification accompaniment and closure support until HACCP certification is achieved or until all expert-controllable corrective actions have been completed. This includes advising on the certification application, preparing the audit file, reviewing evidence before submission, briefing staff before the external audit, supporting Milimani in responding to auditor findings, and guiding the company in closing non-conformities identified during the certification audit.

Your Qualifications / Skills

• Education/training: University degree or advanced professional qualification in food science, food technology, food safety, microbiology, quality management, industrial engineering for food production, or a related field;
• Professional certification: Recognized HACCP implementation and/or auditing training required. ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP/GHP, food safety auditing, or internal-auditor training is a strong asset;
• Languages: Excellent working proficiency in English required; Kinyarwanda is a strong asset for shopfloor training;
• Other skills: Strong facilitation, training, and report-writing skills; ability to translate standards into practical SME procedures; full computer literacy and ability to prepare clear SOPs, checklists, and templates.

Your Working Experience

• General professional experience: At least 8 years of professional experience in food safety, quality assurance, food manufacturing, food technology, certification readiness, or food-sector consulting;
• Specific professional experience: At least 5 years of hands-on experience supporting food manufacturers with HACCP implementation, GMP/GHP, documentation, process-flow verification, hazard analysis, internal audits, and audit readiness;
• Sector experience: Demonstrated experience with bakery, food ingredients, dry mixes, sauces, fruit preparations, food repackaging, dairy ingredients, or comparable food-processing categories is strongly preferred;
• Regional/other experience: Professional experience in Rwanda or East Africa and familiarity with the Rwanda Standards Board, Rwanda FDA, local SME realities, and institutional buyer requirements is an asset.

• Review existing licenses, permits, SOPs, production and cleaning records, pest-control records, staff hygiene procedures, supplier documents, batch records, traceability, and complaint records;
• Conduct an on-site facility and process gap assessment covering raw material receiving, storage, processing/mixing, packaging, labeling, repackaging, finished goods storage, dispatch, sanitation, hygiene, pest control, waste, maintenance, allergen control, and recall readiness;
• Assess compliance against HACCP and relevant prerequisite programs, including Good Manufacturing/Hygiene Practices (GMP/GHP), sanitation, supplier approval, traceability, personnel hygiene, maintenance, calibration, and record-keeping;
• Prepare a practical HACCP/food safety gap report with risk rating, prioritized corrective actions, responsibilities, timelines, and distinction between quick fixes and investment-dependent actions;
• Support HACCP scope definition, process-flow verification, hazard analysis, and identification of critical controls or operational prerequisite programs for priority product lines;
• Develop or improve priority SOPs, checklists, and templates, including cleaning, hygiene, supplier approval, traceability, batch records, labeling checks, pest monitoring, corrective actions, complaints, recall, and internal audit tools;
• Train (in-person) Milimani's HACCP team and relevant operational staff on practical HACCP implementation, documentation, monitoring, corrective actions, traceability, and audit expectations;
• Conduct follow-up implementation support and one mock audit/pre-audit readiness review,
• Provide certification accompaniment and closure support until HACCP certification is achieved or until all expert-controllable corrective actions have been completed. This includes advising on the certification application, preparing the audit file, reviewing evidence before submission, briefing staff before the external audit, supporting Milimani in responding to auditor findings, and guiding the company in closing non-conformities identified during the certification audit.

• Strong facilitation, training, and report-writing skills; ability to translate standards into practical SME procedures; full computer literacy and ability to prepare clear SOPs, checklists, and templates.

• University degree or advanced professional qualification in food science, food technology, food safety, microbiology, quality management, industrial engineering for food production, or a related field;
• Recognized HACCP implementation and/or auditing training required. ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP/GHP, food safety auditing, or internal-auditor training is a strong asset;
• Excellent working proficiency in English required; Kinyarwanda is a strong asset for shopfloor training;