Lead Quality Expert - External Manufacturing QA

Job title: Lead Quality Expert - External Manufacturing QA
City, Country: Delft, The Netherlands

Own the quality agenda for assigned External Manufacturers. Drive strategy execution, rigorous risk assessments, and audit-ready compliance. Lead improvements that reduce defects, accelerate releases, and protect food safety. Collaborate with R&D, Supply Chain, and partners to deliver high-quality products on time, every time, across a scalable EM network worldwide footprint.

Your key responsibilities

Quality Leadership & Compliance: Maintain strong partnerships with EMs, ensuring adherence to DSM-Fir standards, customer specifications, and regulatory requirements, including HALAL and Kosher.

Issue Resolution & RCA: Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for quality issues impacting EMs.

Project Management: Manage onboarding of new EMs, new production lines, and new products; consult on QA criteria (SQM, PCQI) and stage gates in project management.

Operational Quality Activities: Oversee complaint follow-up, product release, audits of EMs and warehouses, and establish Quality Agreements.

Risk Assessment & Approval: Execute Q&FS risk assessments within MOC-T processes, integrating internal QA systems to approve new EMs.

Performance Monitoring & Communication: Conduct periodic EM performance reviews and collaborate effectively with internal teams, customers, and external auditing bodies.

We offer

A rich history and a promising future of bold scientific innovation and passionate creation with our customers.
A space to grow by encouraging and supporting curiosity and an open mindset.
A culture that prioritizes safety and well-being, both physically and mentally.
The opportunity to work for a company where sustainability is much more than a claim and is core to our strategy and purpose.
A flexible work environment that empowers people to take accountability for their work and owns the outcome.

You bring

Master’s degree in food technology or a closely related field.
Minimum 8 years of experience in the food industry with Quality Management Systems.
Strategic thinker with the ability to set priorities and define agendas aligned with business needs.
Strong collaborative mindset and ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
Proven experience working in cross-functional teams; proactive team player who can also work independently.
Fluent in English; additional languages are considered an advantage.

About dsm-firmenich
At dsm-firmenich, we don’t just meet expectations – we go beyond them.
Join our global team powered by science, creativity, and a shared purpose: to bring progress to life.

From elevating health to making fortified food and sustainable skincare, the impact of your work here will be felt by millions – every single day. Whether it’s fragrance that helps you focus, alternative meat that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar without losing flavor, this is where you help shape the future of nutrition, health, and beauty for everyone, everywhere.

And while you’re making a difference, we’ll make sure you’re growing too. With learning that never stops, a culture that lifts you up and the freedom to move across businesses, teams, and borders. Your voice matters here. And your ideas? They’re essential to our future.

Because real progress only happens when we go beyond, together.

Inclusion, belonging and equal opportunity statement
At dsm-firmenich, we believe being a force for good starts with the way we treat each other. When people feel supported, included, and free to be themselves, they do their best work – and that’s exactly the kind of culture we’re building. A place where opportunity is truly equal, authenticity is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to grow, contribute, and feel they belong.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we’re serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. From inclusive language and diverse interview panels to thoughtful sourcing, we’re committed to reflecting the world we serve.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds — no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you, you.

And if you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we’re here to help – just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything we can to make it work.

Agency statement
We’re managing this search directly at dsm-firmenich. If you’re applying as an individual, we’d love to hear from you. We’re not accepting agency submissions or proposals involving fees or commissions for this role.