Officer-Hygiene & Food Quality-Officer

Key skills

ISO 22000 certified Auditor

Industrial catering knowledge

Additional/Preferred Skills

Diploma in hotel management

Preferred Qualifications

Post Graduate in any dicipline

Officer-Hygiene & Food Quality

ICRISAT seeks applications from highly motivated professionals for the position of Officer - Hygiene & Food Quality. The position will play a pivotal role in ensuring that all food handling, preparation, and service operations meet stringent hygiene standards and safety protocols. This position oversees the implementation of food quality controls, conducts regular audits, and ensures compliance with regulatory guidelines to maintain excellence across all culinary functions. This is a nationally recruited position and will report to the Associate Manager – Catering Services based in the Headquarters at Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit - www.icrisat.org

Responsibilities:

Daily Hygiene Compliance:

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  Oversee hygiene standards in all food production and service areas through structured inspections and checklists.

Staff Personal Hygiene:

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  Ensure daily monitoring of food handlers’ hygiene practices including uniforms, gloves, grooming, and handwashing compliance.

Quality Control – Raw Material & Receiving:

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  Monitor quality of vegetables, perishable and non-perishable goods at receiving stage and throughout storage.

Food Tasting & Safety Checks:

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  Supervise daily food tasting, temperature checks, and sampling to maintain food quality before every meal service.

Routine Audits & Documentation:

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  Conduct daily internal audits and maintain detailed documentation, including hygiene checklists, temperature logs, and cleaning schedules.

Food Wastage & Oil Spillage Monitoring:

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  Track and report on kitchen wastage, oil reuse/spillage, and implement improvement strategies to reduce food loss.

Training & Awareness Programs:

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  Conduct regular hygiene training for all kitchen and service staff to ensure compliance with ISO 22000 and internal standards.

Regulatory Compliance:

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  Ensure continuous compliance with local and international food safety standards including ISO 22000, HACCP, and FSSAI.

Qualifications & Experience:

Educational Qualification:

• 
  A Postgraduate degree with related experience in Food services

Certifications (Mandatory):

• ISO 22000:2018 Certified Lead Auditor (Compulsory)

• HACCP

Experience:

• Minimum 10+ years of hands-on experience in food safety and hygiene supervision in bulk kitchen operations (industrial/institutional catering, or large-scale food service units)

Other Requirements:

• In-depth knowledge of ISO 22000, FSSAI guidelines, hygiene protocols, and audit procedures

• Strong observation, leadership, and documentation skills

• Ability to handle high-pressure food service environments

Working Conditions:

• Early morning presence required during production hours

• On-ground presence in receiving docks, kitchen production areas, and storage spaces

• Requires physical mobility and stamina to carry out detailed inspections

• Break shifts to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner operations, may need to work 6 am to 12 pm and 6pm to 8 Pm (Total 8 hours)

General:

This is a contractual role for a period of 36 months (3 years). renewable subject to performance of new incumbent, funding availability and continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from 31 August 2025.  All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.