Local Food Safety Specialist

SAFEGRO RECRUITMENT

Local Food Safety Specialist (HCMC)

Alinea International [1]provides management and technical expertise to developing and transitional country partners on projects that promote sustainable growth and meaningful opportunities for people to improve their lives in dozens of countries worldwide.

Alinea is currently recruiting a Local Food Safety Specialist (HCMC) for the Safe Food for Growth project (SAFEGRO). The objective of the project is to improve the performance of national and sub-national governments in enforcing food safety regulations; to increase competitiveness of Vietnamese agri-food products domestically and internationally; and to increase consumer demand for safe agri-food in Vietnam. The project will operate across the agri-food value chain by engaging and building the capacity of three main target groups: the public sector (enabling environment), the private sector (supply side), and consumers (demand side).

In partnership with the University of Guelph (Canada), Alinea International will work with national and regional governments in Vietnam to enforce food safety regulations, with private sector suppliers to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese food products domestically and internationally, and with consumers to improve demand for safe food in Vietnam. Key partners on this project include The Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development (MARD), the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), and the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Job Roles and Responsibilities

The local food safety specialist will be based in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and will report to the Project Director based in Hanoi.  This is a full-time position.

Specific responsibilities include, without being limited to:

• Providing technical input into the development of the PIP, the PMF, the risk register, AWPs, and semi-annual and annual reports for the overall project with a focus on HCMC;
• Facilitate strong working relationship with the HCMC government and other key stakeholders with particular emphasis on supporting the Food Safety Management Authority (FSMA);
• Manage the HCMC satellite office of SAFEGRO;
• Assist in implementing Gender Based Value Chain Assessments, undertaking analysis, identifuying gaps and recommendations for SAFEGRO internventions to address gasps;
• Coordinate SAFEGRO capacity building activities in HCMC and links to value chains in adjacent provinces and farmers supplying to HCMC;
• Coordinate the design and delivery of training programs for cooperatives and farmers in safe food production areas supplying agri-food products to HCMC including frutis, vegetables and fish products;
• In relation to the highly specific project outputs, as identified in the Logic Model (Appendix 1 to Annex A) where food safety risk assessment and detailed value chain analysis is required, working with the Food Safety/Risk Assessment Specialist and Value Chain specialists to:
  
  • assess capacity in risk assessment and advise on setting up a risk assessment network;
  • develop guidance on the implementation of an assessment for both qualitative and quantitative food safety risks;
• Support implementation of traceability systems and food safety certificatiosn throughlut the value chains;
• Develop training materials, guidance manuals and other technical documents specifically related to science-based and risk-based approaches to food safety decision-making;
• Plan and conduct training workshops on the concepts of hazards, risks, exposure assessment in risk analysis and food standard setting;
• Design and oversee initiatives aimed at generating data to inform the elaboration of scientific advice to support the implementation of a risk-based approach to food safety management by the Vietnamese Project stakeholders;
• Perform the analysis of selected Vietnamese agri-food value chains as well as constraints and opportunities related to agribusiness investment options with emphasis on the functionality of markets, support services, trade policies, market institutions and organizations, risk management systems, food safety control systems and private sector engagement;
• Advise on, design and deliver capacity development activities in collaboration with both private and public stakeholders in the areas of agribusiness, marketing and food value chain development.
• Performing other related duties as required.

Required Qualifications

The Local Food Safety Specialist (HCMC) must have the following minimum qualifications and experience for this position:

• Undergraduate degree (i.e. University bachelor’s degree) in a relevant discipline such as: food science, veterinary science, agricultural production, animal husbandry, epidemiology and food microbiology; an advanced degree (e.g. MSc.) is a considered an advantage.
• Level 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency in English in oral, and reading and level 3 – General Professional Proficiency in writing;
• Level 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency in Vietnamese (oral, reading and writing);
• 60 months of professional experience in the field of food safety in the various components of the food production and distribution value chain, at an operational level (such as working for or directly with private industry).
• Demonstrated experience with food safety management systems (GAP, HACCP, VietGAP, etc) and/or supply chain management.
• Preference will be given to candidates who possess knowledge and experience in food safety, risk assessment and the Vietnamese agri-food value chains.

Compensation

Alinea offers competitive salaries and an excellent benefits package. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
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For those who are interested in applying for the Food Safety Specialist position, please send your application (letter of interest and CV with details on qualifications and experiences) with at least 3 referees by email to [email protected] [2]. Please use attached CV format and include the job title in your email subject line.

Application form: Only via email

Deadline: 13th February 2023

Interview announcement: Via email only to selected candidate, maximum 15 working days after the deadline of application.

We welcome all applications, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression; candidates that belong to underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. The recruitment process is based on fair standards.