sequa gGmbH is a globally operating non-profit development organization. Since 1991 sequa has carried out programs and projects of international cooperation in close collaboration with the German private sector. sequa offers know-how and long-term experience in capacity development for chambers and associations (BMOs), vocational education and training, private sector development, and trade promotion. The organization is based in Bonn, Germany. sequa employs more than 100 persons (2025) and reported a turnover of EUR 56 m in 2024.

We are offering a project-based assignment as 

Food Safety and HACCP Readiness Expert (m/f/d)

Location:Kigali, Rwanda

Assignment Period:07/26 – 01/27

Working time scope:22 working days

Project:SME assist Scheme targeting growth-oriented SMEs in Rwanda

Job Code: RW-1132 - Milimani HACCP Expert

The Project

Within the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition", implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, sequa implements the SME assist Scheme, which targets growth-oriented SMEs in Rwanda. The project aims to facilitate business growth and job creation by enhancing the competitiveness, productivity, and market readiness of Rwandan SMEs, with a focus on women-owned businesses and decent work.

The SME assist Scheme supports selected medium-sized enterprises, including Milimani Enterprises Ltd, with growth and job creation potential. Milimani is a women-owned bakery ingredients manufacturer and food-solutions company based in Kigali. It serves bakeries, food producers, hotels/restaurants, and distributors with locally manufactured baking inputs, traded goods, and customer assist services.

The scope of this assignment is to assist Milimani in assessing, prioritizing, and addressing HACCP and food safety gaps in its current production, repackaging, storage, and dispatch processes. The expert is expected to produce the company for HACCP certification. 

Your Tasks / Responsibilities

• evaluate existing licenses, permits, SOPs, production and cleaning records, pest-control records, staff hygiene procedures, supplier documents, batch records, traceability, and complaint records;
• perform an on-site facility and process gap assessment covering raw material receiving, storage, processing/mixing, packaging, labeling, repackaging, finished goods storage, dispatch, sanitation, hygiene, pest control, waste, maintenance, allergen control, and recall readiness;
• Assess compliance against HACCP and relevant prerequisite programs, including Good Manufacturing/Hygiene Practices (GMP/GHP), sanitation, supplier approval, traceability, personnel hygiene, maintenance, calibration, and record-keeping;
• produce a practical HACCP/food safety gap report with risk rating, prioritized corrective actions, responsibilities, timelines, and distinction between quick fixes and investment-dependent actions;
• assist HACCP scope definition, process-flow verification, hazard analysis, and identification of critical controls or operational prerequisite programs for priority product lines;
• create or enhance priority SOPs, checklists, and templates, including cleaning, hygiene, supplier approval, traceability, batch records, labeling checks, pest monitoring, corrective actions, complaints, recall, and internal audit tools;
• Train (in-person) Milimani's HACCP team and relevant operational staff on practical HACCP implementation, documentation, monitoring, corrective actions, traceability, and audit expectations;
• perform follow-up implementation assist and one mock audit/pre-audit readiness evaluate, 
• deliver certification accompaniment and closure assist until HACCP certification is achieved or until all expert-controllable corrective actions have been completed. This includes advising on the certification application, preparing the audit file, reviewing evidence before submission, briefing staff before the external audit, supporting Milimani in responding to auditor findings, and guiding the company in closing non-conformities identified during the certification audit.

Your Qualifications / Skills

• Education/training: University degree or advanced professional qualification in food science, food technology, food safety, microbiology, quality management, industrial engineering for food production, or a related field;
• Professional certification: Recognized HACCP implementation and/or auditing training required. ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP/GHP, food safety auditing, or internal-auditor training is a strong asset;
• Languages: Excellent working proficiency in English required; Kinyarwanda is a strong asset for shopfloor training;
• Other skills: Strong facilitation, training, and report-writing skills; ability to translate standards into practical SME procedures; full computer literacy and ability to produce clear SOPs, checklists, and templates.

Your Working Experience

• General professional experience: At least 8 years of professional experience in food safety, quality assurance, food manufacturing, food technology, certification readiness, or food-sector consulting;
• Specific professional experience: At least 5 years of hands-on experience supporting food manufacturers with HACCP implementation, GMP/GHP, documentation, process-flow verification, hazard analysis, internal audits, and audit readiness;
• Sector experience: Demonstrated experience with bakery, food ingredients, dry mixes, sauces, fruit preparations, food repackaging, dairy ingredients, or comparable food-processing categories is strongly preferred;
• Regional/other experience: Professional experience in Rwanda or East Africa and familiarity with the Rwanda Standards Board, Rwanda FDA, local SME realities, and institutional buyer requirements is an asset.

Please send us a cover letter, your CV in the EuropeAid format, relevant resumes, and your daily fee expectation in EUR/RWF. If you apply as a firm, please send your company profile and financial proposal. Additionally, please share two examples where you supported a food manufacturer in moving from basic GMP/GHP to HACCP audit readiness, including the product category, your role, the documents developed, the staff trained, and the audit outcome.

In the case of comparable qualifications, disabled persons are given preference. 

Please send us your application by no later than 12 July 2026 to applications.rwanda@sequa.de with the Subject line "RW-1132 - Milimani HACCP Expert".