Raw Material Supervisor

Role purpose

To Supervise fruit receiving, weighing, sorting and ripening to provide Production with correctly identified, accepted fruit at the required ripeness and quantity.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

1. Receiving and Truck Unloading. Truck arrivals and unloading coordinated with Procurement, Production and QA. Fruit handled carefully to prevent bruising and contamination. Supplier, delivery and lot details checked; unloading teams organised to minimise delays and fruit exposure.

2. Weighing and Intake Reconciliation. Gross, tare and net weights recorded accurately using verified scales and agreed procedures. Accepted, rejected and held quantities reconciled against each delivery. Weight discrepancies investigated and escalated before intake records are finalised.

3. Incoming Fruit Sorting and Segregation. Sorting teams apply QA-approved acceptance criteria for maturity, damage, decay and foreign material. Accepted, rejected and held fruit clearly segregated and labelled. Suspect deliveries referred to QA; quality hold and release decisions remain with QA.

4. Ripening Chamber Management: Chambers loaded by compatible fruit type, maturity and lot. Approved ripening procedures followed, including specified temperature, humidity, ventilation and treatment settings. Chamber conditions and fruit ripeness checked and recorded; deviations escalated promptly to Production, QA and Maintenance as appropriate.

5. Team Supervision and Hygiene. Receiving, weighing, sorting and ripening teams assigned clear duties and targets. Attendance, handling practices, hygiene and housekeeping monitored. Safe stacking, clear access routes and chamber entry procedures enforced. Shift handovers identify stock status, holds and outstanding issues.

Other Special Requirements

• Hands-on role covering receiving areas and ripening chambers.

  Key measures: weighing accuracy, stock reconciliation, traceability, ripening losses, receiving turnaround and timely supply of fruit at the required ripeness

Job Requirement

• Certificate or diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Agriculture, Horticulture, Production Management or a related discipline.

• At least two years in fresh produce receiving, packhouse operations, ripening or food processing, with experience leading a team.

• Knowledge of fruit maturity and handling; accurate weighing, stock records and basic calculations; clear communication, organisation and prompt escalation of problems.