Blending Manager will be responsible for the conventional cigarettes and NFB (Not for Burn) blending development and maintenances and respective product evaluation by consistently ensuring product quality and uniformity by set standards.
Responsibilities & Duties:
- Responsible for preparation of blending process, products specifications, delivery time and coordinate cost estimation for all projects by documenting and maintain records on stages/phases of projects
- Carry out quality assessment of incoming tobacco leaf product before and during production
- Provide support during leaf and blend planning
- Provide technical product knowledge and support on the start-up and qualification of new equipment, processes, vendors, and trade suppliers to product completion and documentation
- Drive continuous process improvement through the ability to recognize unnecessary complexities and process gaps and proactively drive implementation of strategies to execute effective solutions.
- Provide expertise advisory, trainings and co-ordinates executing projects to respective department, peers, clients, installers/workers, and suppliers from early stage to manufacturing of products
- Work and communicate with both internal and external parties, in identifying objectives, budget, requirements and formulate options.
- Work close with Factories production teams to ensure processing parameters in place to achieve product quality is as per the initial agreed
- Initiate research to further understanding blends development for heated products (e.g.: NFB) and conventional cigarettes
- Explore traditional and exotic leaf types and origin for heated products (NFB and others) and build blending concept for diverse taste territories (Straight Virginia/Virginia Modified/USB/Others)
- Explore and define blends to perform Menthol and Other taste/flavour direction for Heated Products
- Collaborate across functional teams throughout the development process, ensure development is completed within agreed upon timeframes. Collaborate with to qualify new materials etc.
- Attend to sensory panels to assess new blends and/or maintenance as required
- Any other ad-hoc activities as tasked
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree in chemistry/agronomy/manufacture/production/supply chain or equivalent
- Understanding tobacco chemistry and fermentation/product quality, inventory, blending & processing
- Experience in blending, production, and quality process for white cigarette / tobacco related products / new products development.
- Experience in coordination and quality control process in production.
- Experience in developing new tobacco blends.
- Good sensory panel experience and basis knowledge of leaf.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
- Very good project management and communication skills
- Ability to manage and work with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to engage with stakeholders and external partners.
- Ability to quickly develop credibility and begin influencing within an organization.
- Ability to work and thrive in an environment of uncertainty and quickly adapt to change
- Willing to travel & relocate internationally
- Familiarity with Risk/Hazards Assessment, FMEA, FMECA, HACCP, Validation, or other assessment tools/methods
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills of dependability and credibility
