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Technical Assistant

Cape Winelands
Salary: Market Related
Job Type: Permanent
Sectors: Agriculture Manufacturing
Reference: SW006076/JM

Apply before Feb 28 2026 | 31 Days left

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External Application

Vacancy Details

Employer: Helderberg Personnel cc

My client, a well established fruit exporter based in Paarl is seeking to employ a Technical Assistant to join their Quality team. The successful candidate will have a relevant tertiary qualification (MSc) or similar in Food Technology.

Tasks comprise:
General:

Develop and manage internal technical and due diligence systems as defined by the IFS Quality Management Systems.
Creating and maintaining a database for technical standards and applicable legislation

Customers Due Diligence Requirements

Liaise with customers with regards to their food safety, product quality, labeling, MRL, ethical, sustainability requirements (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Implementation of these customer requirements per fruit team and communication back to supply base.

Legislation and Industry/Market Requirements

Liaise with DAFF, PPECB, FruitSA, auditing bodies and key role players in order to keep up to date with quality, food safety, ethical legislation and requirements applicable to the industry (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables): MRL requirements, Minimum export standards, Special market protocols and registrations, FBO requirements and registrations, Dispensations, SIZA ethical program, Food Safety standards
Implementation of these standards and legislation and communication back to supply base.
Represent the company at industry technical meetings (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).

Growers and Packhouses support

Set supplier approval criteria as per customer and market requirements. Communicate to commercial teams and supply base (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Assist producers at farm level with interpretation and implementation of customer requirements and Good Agricultural Practices
Assist packhouses with interpretation and implementation of customer requirements and food safety systems.

Plant Protection Product Usage and other fruit analysis

Liaise with analytical laboratories with regards to accreditation status, scope of analyses and test results.
Address customer concerns in terms of the use of plant protection products.
Ensure that MRL sampling procedure is followed by monitoring that samples are drawn and results conform to market and customer requirements. Distribute MRL results to supply base and customers including Indonesia (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Manage incidences where residue analysis exceeds MRL at farm level or on arrival at customer.
Communicate to commercial/technical teams for re-testing, re-routing or possible re-call (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Assemble spray records per farm and variety as required.
Monitor pesticide applications as per target market requirements (withholding periods, approved chemicals). Distribute to customers on request. Communicate non-conformances to commercial/technical teams for re-routing.
Perform trend analysis for MRL results to determine active ingredients/growers/variety that requires attention in reducing residue levels as requested by customers
Ensure that the Gamma and formalin analysis procedure is followed by arranging for the testing of samples and issuing of certificates

Product Quality

Assist in compiling technical specification book for farm and packhouse use (Citrus).
Receive, interpret, capture and communicate QC feedback on arrival of fruit (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables)
Monitor temptale readings and initiate possible shipping claims. Assist the Fin Director in closing out claims. Liaise with relevant parties in the event of temptale queries (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).

IFS Broker - Quality Management System

Management of the company QMS as per IFS Broker standards: implementation and maintenance, internal auditing (including traceability), external auditing, HACCP team member with the responsibility for food safety as required by the the company's IFS system

Ethical Compliance

Address customer concerns in terms of ethical pratices within the company supply chain.
Ensure ethical compliance over the entire supply base by communicating market requirements to producers and growers status to customers (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Follow-up on Sedex and SIZA memberships.
Follow-up on SIZA and GRASP ethical audit compliance.

Sustainability Strategy

Address customer concerns and requirements in terms of sustainability practices within the company supply chain (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).
Assist in implementation of projects identified by the sustainability strategy (including biodiversity, social, water quality, carbon footprint) (Citrus, Grapes, Exotics and Vegetables).

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About Helderberg Personnel cc

Based in Somerset West, Helderberg Personnel was established in 1998. The company initially started doing placements in the Helderberg Basin and over the years expanded nationally. Our background has proved to be invaluable in providing a high standard of recruitment, screening, evaluation and placement of candidates.

Our Value proposition:
The true value proposition of the Helderberg Personnel brand is our commitment to attending to our clients’ needs, culture and values and to ensure that, through comprehensive interviews with candidates, the overall match is determined to ensure a long term relationship. The identity of the client remains confidential at all times. We understand that our function is to ensure that the candidate must become a strategic partner to a business instead of a mere employee. Helderberg Personnel has achieved a steady growth over the last years and we have evolved into one of the leading agencies in the region. We have made placements cross functional, cross industry and up to senior management level.