Quality Management System Associate Manager

We are the second largest producers of sweets and chewing gum in the world and leaders in the Italian market. Our brands such as Vigorsol, Daygum Vivident, Big Babol, Brooklyn, Golia, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, Mentos, Goleador are in the hearts, homes and pockets of millions of consumers of every generation. We at Perfetti Van Melle put a lot of passion, competence and spirit of innovation into making them increasingly current, attractive and responsive to the needs of our consumers.

Our purpose “Innovative Treats. Better Future” puts innovation at the center of our strategy in everything we do, with a great sense of responsibility to guarantee a better future for our people, our consumers and our planet.

Our European team is expanding and we are looking for a new Quality Management System Associate Manager

Main Purpose of the role

The Global Quality Management System (QMS) Associate Manager is responsible for defining, implementing, and continuously improving the company’s End-to End Quality Management System framework across all regions, manufacturing and commercial sites, and functions. This role ensures that quality and food safety processes, governance, standards, and performance management systems are consistently deployed and embedded throughout the organization.

The Global QMS Associate Manager establishes the global operating model for quality management, including governance routines, management review processes, performance monitoring, risk management, compliance, and continuous improvement mechanism in close collaboration with its QFS global peers.

The role serves as the key integrator across Quality, Food Safety, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D and Regulatory, ensuring that the Quality Management System effectively supports risk management, business growth, operational excellence, and product superiority.

Through strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration, the Global QMS Associate Manager drives harmonization, simplification, and digital transformation, enabling a culture of quality excellence and consumer focus across the enterprise.

What you will do

• Define and maintain the global end-to-end Quality Management System strategy and framework.
• Develop and govern global policies, standards, procedures, and requirements that support quality and food safety excellence.
• Ensure alignment between the Quality Management System and the company’s business objectives, consumer expectations, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive the harmonization and simplification of quality processes across all regions and manufacturing sites.
• Design and implement the global QMS governance model, including roles, responsibilities, escalation processes, and decision-making mechanisms.
• Define and facilitate governance routines, including management reviews, performance reviews, and quality councils.
• Monitor the effectiveness of governance processes and continuously improve organizational routines.
• Coordinate cross-functional alignment between Quality, Operations, R&D, Procurement, and Regulatory
• Define the global quality performance framework, including KPIs, scorecards, and leading and lagging indicators.
• Develop single source of truth, dashboards and visualization tools to support global quality governance.
• Lead the integration of international standards such as ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, GMP, HACCP, and GFSI requirements into the QMS framework.
• Monitor emerging risks and ensure that mitigation plans are effectively implemented.
• Support crisis management, incident management, and corrective action governance.
• Monitor audit outcomes and drive systemic improvements.
• Ensure the integration of QMS tools across manufacturing sites and functions.
• Promote the use of automation, analytics, and digital solutions to improve efficiency and transparency.

Our Perfect Candidate

• Degree in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in Quality, Food Safety, Quality Systems, or Operational Excellence within the FMCG or food industry.
• Proven experience designing and implementing global Quality Management Systems across multiple regions/scopes.
• Deep knowledge of ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP, and GFSI standards.
• Strong understanding of governance models, performance management, and risk management frameworks.
• Experience on leading/supporting digital transformation initiatives and implementing enterprise quality systems.
• Strong project management, stakeholder management, and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills in