GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Our mission is to connect the world with award-winning Vietnamese Chocolate. We are a vertically-integrated chocolate company dedicated to crafting the finest artisanal chocolates using only the highest quality ingredients. With a commitment to exceptional taste, sustainability, creativity, and design, we aim to provide a unique and indulgent chocolate experience to our customers. Our products are distributed worldwide, and we pride ourselves on maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

ROLE PURPOSE

Be the single official reference for every Marou label (Vietnam and Export: US, France, Multi-EU and other markets), from the exact recipe to the printed wrapper, and to every catalogue, website image and POSM that shows label information.

You own the official Label Database of QA. Nothing is printed, ordered or published without the approved version from this database. You are the final check, and you make sure Procurement and Design always work with the latest approved information.

Marou does not work with any external regulatory agency. Regulatory decisions are made in-house, based on the official texts, and you build and protect this knowledge. If an external advisor is ever needed, you scope and manage the request.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY

A. Official Label Database

• Own and maintain the QA Label Database as the single source of truth: one record per product × market × version (VN / US / FR / Multi-EU / other).
• Each record holds: approved artwork, status (Draft / Approved / Superseded), version, date and approver, recipe version, ingredient list and allergens per market, nutrition tables (VN / US / EU), claims, shelf-life wording, date-coding format, barcode (GTIN), spec and Packing Instruction references, links to lab analyses.
• Audit the existing database at handover and close every gap. Define naming, access and archiving rules for superseded versions.
• Issue a Label Release Notice at every validation: product, market, version, what changed, what was checked, file link, status.
• Guarantee that no print order is placed on a version that is not marked Approved.

B. Communication with Design and Procurement

• The Design Manager is your single point of contact for Design.
• Give Design the latest official version plus the up-to-date ingredient list, allergens and mandatory mentions per market, so that no catalogue, website image or POSM is built from an outdated source.
• Review label-related content of catalogues, website visuals and POSM (ingredients, allergens, claims, nutrition, net weight, origin) before publication.
• Inform Procurement/Supply Chain of every approved and superseded version so that old packaging is neither ordered nor used.

C. Recipes and source data

• Obtain from R&D lab or CK, and from Production, the exact, current recipe of each product (percentages, ingredient origin, final weights). Reconcile it with specs, COA and allergen statements, and flag every discrepancy before it reaches a label.
• Link every label and nutrition table to a dated, validated recipe. Update when a recipe changes.

D. Lab analyses: anticipate, order, validate

• Identify the missing analyses per product and market (nutrition, allergens, microbiology, contaminants, shelf life, etc.). Propose them and order them with the lab.
• Always anticipate: plan backwards from launch and shipment dates, with lab lead times and a safety margin.
• Check that results are conclusive: method, units, LOQ, coherence with the recipe and spec, regulatory limits. Question inconsistent results and request re-tests.
• Ensure every analysis report delivers nutrition tables in VN, US and EU formats. For the US: per serving (serving size defined by you and communicated to the lab in the request) and per container, applying FDA rounding rules.

E. Label compliance (VN)

• Check every VN label against Vietnamese regulation (labelling, food safety, nutrition, claims, date marking, language).
• Validate each claim against the regulation and supporting data before it goes on pack.

F. Label compliance (Export)

• Prepare and check export labels for US (FDA, 21 CFR 101), France and Multi-EU (EN/DE/SV): EU 1169/2011, allergens, units, energy in kJ and kcal, date formats, importer and operator mentions.
• Edit translations (FR / DE / SV) with the regulatory AI agent.
• Maintain the market comparison matrix (VN / US / FR / Multi-EU) listing every field that differs between versions (e.g. shelf life, date coding).
• Answer customer, importer and customs label requests.

G. Packing Instructions and production release

• Own the Packing Instruction (PI) for every product × packaging format × market version: you write, version and release it to Production, QC and Planning.
• Each PI states: product and version, label reference (from the database), coding format (MFG, BBD, lot, position, line), barcode and position, approved reference sample (photo), translated key terms for line staff (FR / EN / VN), and market-specific points.
• Rule: no approved PI, no production start for a new or changed packaging version. You make sure it is applied.
• Update the PI whenever a label, barcode, recipe or format changes. Withdraw superseded PIs from the line.
• Compare each new artwork with the previous approved version, the database and the market matrix, and identify the differences.
• Support the first-print approval at the line: field-by-field check of the printed sample against the PI, including a barcode scan. Sign and file it with the sample.

H. Product specifications (finished goods)

• Prepare all finished-product specifications, one per product covering all formats and market versions. R&D/RDQ provides sensory and physico-chemical data. The QA/QC Manager reviews; the Head of NPD approves.
• Cover: characteristics, ingredients and shelf life per market, allergens, storage, certifications, regulatory references, microbiological / heavy-metal / mycotoxin criteria and methods, packaging information per format, mandatory label mentions, GTIN per format, and nutrition information.
• Present nutrition tables in the three compliant formats: VN, US (per serving and per container, FDA serving size, added sugars, rounding) and EU (kJ and kcal).
• Specs are shared with customers, so each spec includes the current approved label image. The spec is re-issued after every Label Release Notice that changes content, and the customer-facing version is always the latest one.
• Keep spec, label, recipe, lab results, PI and barcode registry consistent. Keep the editable source and the signed PDF in the database, with version and date.
• Use spec acceptance criteria to validate lab results and flag any out-of-spec result to QA.
• Collect raw-material and packaging specs from QA / Procurement / PKG and check them against the recipe and label (compare).

I. Barcodes (with Supply Chain)

• Own the barcode registry: GTIN/EAN-13 per product × format × market, and GTIN-14/ITF-14 for master cartons where required, in coordination with Supply Chain and under the company GS1 membership.
• Allocate codes for every new SKU, format and market version. Never reuse or duplicate a code. Keep one master list linked to Supply Chain item codes and to the Label Database.
• Provide Design with the correct barcode file for each artwork and check it on the proof (code, digits, size, quiet zone, position).
• Verify barcodes at first print (scan test and readability) and record the result.
• Communicate new, changed or retired codes to Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales and customers (retailers, importers). Answer their barcode requests.

J. Regulatory agent (AI) and continuous improvement

• Use the Marou regulatory agent daily, check its outputs critically and log errors. Help train it, especially on Vietnamese regulation (structured rules, test cases with expected answers).
• Monitor regulatory changes (VN, US, EU) and update rules and checklists.
• Contribute to NC/CAPA reports on label issues and follow up the actions.

REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Biotechnology or a related field. Fresh graduates welcome.

Must have

• Good professional English, written and spoken: emails, reports, reading FDA and EU regulations.
• Very sharp eye for detail: a missing comma, a wrong unit, a swapped allergen, a field present in one version and absent in another. A practical proofreading test is part of the interview.
• Strong Excel skills: lookup functions (XLOOKUP / INDEX-MATCH), data validation, conditional formatting, structured tables, and rigour in managing a database.
• Grounding in food labelling (ingredients, allergens, nutrition facts, claims, date marking) and in interpreting analytical results. Knowledge of Vietnamese food regulation is a strong plus.
• Proactive and organised: anticipates, plans backwards from deadlines, follows up without being asked.
• Honest: says “I need to verify” rather than guessing.

Nice to have

• Basic knowledge of FDA and EU labelling rules, and of barcodes (EAN-13 / GTIN, GS1). Training provided.
• French, German or another language.
• Internship in QA, regulatory affairs or food manufacturing.
• HACCP / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000. Comfort with AI tools. Basic reading of artwork files (PDF, Illustrator).

BEHAVIOURS

• Sharp-eyed and curious: compares, questions, verifies.
• Assertive and respectful: can tell NPD, Design, PKG or Production “not yet”, and explain why.
• Persistent: chases R&D, CK, Production, Design and labs for what is needed.
• Clear communicator: short, precise written messages (what is wrong, where, what is expected).
• Owner mindset, from the recipe to the printed sample and the published visual.

Working location: Binh Chieu Industrial Park, Thu Duc City, HCMC.

MAROU WORKPLACE COMMITMENT

At Marou, we foster a transparent, diverse, and inclusive workplace where all recruitment and career development decisions are based on qualifications, skills, and experience. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for learning and growth, ensuring fair compensation and safe working conditions, and maintaining a respectful workplace free from harassment and discrimination.

Candidate Accommodation: Marou welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds. If you require reasonable accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please inform the People Team so appropriate support can be provided.

Personal Data Protection: Candidate information will be processed in accordance with Marou's Personal Data Processing Notice and applicable data protection regulations