SHEQ Team Leader

Job Purpose

Supervises and coordinates day-to-day SHEQ controls within Air Chefs Cape Town operations, ensuring quality controllers and cleaning supervisors apply hygiene, quality, and compliance standards consistently to protect food safety, meet legal and customer requirements, and support operational continuity.

Additional Information

Air Chefs SOC Ltd is a premium food solutions company with over 40 years of experience. A wholly owned subsidiary of South African Airways, we are uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional food and hospitality services across air, corporate, and event sectors. With three strategically located operational units in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, we have the capacity to produce over 50000 meals daily, serving domestic and international airlines, airport lounges, events, and corporate canteens.

• Conducts routine checks of products, processes, and work areas across Air Chefs Cape Town operations to ensure quality standards are maintained.
• Reviews non-conformances, trends, and recurring defects to identify root causes and support practical corrective action.
• Verifies that quality control records are completed accurately and on time to ensure traceability and audit readiness.
• Escalates material quality risks and repeat failures to the SHEQ Manager to protect output integrity and customer confidence.
• Monitors cleaning standards, schedules, and verification records across Air Chefs Cape Town operations to ensure sanitation controls remain effective.
• Directs cleaning supervisors on issue resolution, rework planning, and follow-up checks to maintain a clean and safe operating environment.
• Checks that cleaning equipment, chemicals, and PPE are used correctly to reduce contamination, injury, and compliance risk.
• Reviews hygiene gaps and repeat failures with operational teams to strengthen control discipline and service quality.
• Completes workplace inspections, routine checks, and compliance walks across Air Chefs Cape Town unit to identify gaps and support audit readiness.
• Documents findings, corrective actions, and closure evidence accurately to ensure traceability and timely followup.
• Maintains inspection files, checklists, and supporting records to support internal and external audits.
• Prepares operational teams for audits and site visits to maintain inspection readiness and respond to queries promptly.
• Reports incidents, near misses, and unsafe or unhygienic conditions promptly to ensure risks are controlled without delay.
• Follows up corrective and preventive actions with Air Chefs operational teams to reduce recurrence and strengthen control effectiveness.
• Participates in investigations and verify closure actions to support continuous improvement and prevent repeat issues.
• Tracks outstanding actions and overdue items, then escalate delays to protect compliance and operational continuity.
• Prepares daily and weekly updates on quality, cleaning, and SHEQ issues across Air Chefs Cape Town operations to keep the SHEQ Manager informed of operational performance.
• Coordinate with operations supervisors and line managers to resolve priorities, align expectations, and support smooth production flow.
• Shares clear feedback with team members and other stakeholders to reinforce standards and sustain compliance culture.
• Collates key trends, recurring issues, and support needs to inform management decisions and follow-up action.
• Supervises the daily work of quality controllers and cleaning supervisors across Air Chefs Operations to ensure tasks are completed to standard and aligned with operational priorities.
•  Allocates shifts and work assignments, monitor attendance, and follow up on performance gaps to maintain consistent service delivery across Air Chefs operational areas.
• Briefs team members on expected controls, behaviours, and priorities to support accountability and consistent execution within the Air Chefs food solutions environment.
• Assesses workload pressures and resource needs, then escalate constraints to the SHEQ Manager in order to maintain continuity.

• Sound knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and relevant regulations.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 management systems.
• Understanding of risk assessment, hazard identification, and control measures.
• Knowledge of incident investigation and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Understanding of legal compliance, SHEQ audits, and regulatory requirements.
• Understanding of emergency preparedness and response procedures.
• Familiarity with food safety standards, HACCP, and FSSC 22000
• Knowledge of SHEQ reporting, document control, and continuous improvement processes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Risk assessment and problem-solving abilities.
• Auditing and inspection skills.
• Incident investigation and report-writing skills.
• Training, coaching, and facilitation skills.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office Suite.
  
  

• National Diploma or equivalent qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Quality Management, Environmental Management, Food Technology, or a related field.
• 5 to 8 years of experience in SHEQ, quality control, hygiene, or cleaning supervision within a food production, catering, or similar Air Chefs operational environment.
• SHEQ, hygiene, food safety, or internal auditing certification is an advantage.
• Training in HACCP, GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 45001, or ISO 14001 is preferred.
• Experience supervising shift-based teams and following up on inspections, nonconformances, and corrective actions. Proven ability to maintain records, support audits, and work across production or service environments.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, hygiene, quality standards, and workplace compliance requirements. Strong planning, coordination, and follow-up skills.

• Results-driven
• Proactive and self-motivated
• Strong leadership and management capability
• Planning, organising, and coordination skills.
• Ability to influence and promote a positive SHEQ culture.
• Strong decision-making and conflict-resolution skills.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
• High integrity and accountability
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines