Formed over 40 years ago, DPS LTD, and its associated companies have grown to become a market leader in the sourcing, production and distribution of fresh produce to some of the UK's leading retailers.

We pride ourselves on the way we do business and understand that we are successful because of our people. As such, dpsM&S, one of our group companies is looking for a superstar Compliance and Sustainability Assistant to join the team based in Bearsted, on a permanent basis, working full time.

Key Accountabilities

• Assist the Technical Director, Group Head of Responsible Sourcing and Compliance and Sustainability CoOrdinator in matters appertaining to product safety, quality, legality, human rights and environmental sustainability. Ensuring the company stays true to its value of Operating Responsibly.
• Support the Compliance and Sustainability Coordinator to collate, monitor and maintain accurate due diligence records for all sources prior to and in supply. This may include, but not exclusive to:
• Setting up new suppliers and sites o Maintaining supplier seasonality records o Managing supplier status through delists and relisting o Uploading supplier, grower and site due diligence records (Global Gap, TN11, PPPL, SEDEX, BRC, SMETA, LEAF and Organic certification)
• Liaise with suppliers to request relevant due diligence information, this may include, (but not exhaustive); GG, pesticide compliance (PPPL, PPU, spray records and source residue analysis), Red Tractor, M&S Select Farm Audit certification, all relevant ethical requirements (SEDEX, SMETA, SIZA, GRASP, RFA, Stronger Together and SETF participation, accommodation data) dpsM&S COP, Organic certification, environmental certification (LEAF, SIZA environmental, SPRING) and audit information.
• Adhere to the compliance DD process, communicating supplier (and grower) approval status at each stage, and on weekly basis to the dps TM, procurement and dps commercial teams. Raise and escalate any issues that may prohibit supply, and work with suppliers to overcome issues.
• Compile and review periodic compliancy KPI reports and work to prioritise and close compliancy gaps on the relevant systems, in line with current compliance KPI targets.
• Lead due diligence compliance administration for the dps internal and customer due diligence (DD) platforms on Food Experts. Ensure all supplier due diligence is collated and filed on T drives, dps due diligence (DD) platform and recorded in the M&S SAL and/or Food Experts portal prior to supplying M&S.
• Ensure that food safety, ethical and environmental due diligence uploaded to online platforms is accurate and maintained to achieve full compliancy. Complete weekly compliancy KPI reporting and identify areas to prioritise and close compliancy gaps.
• Ensure all new suppliers and growers are onboarded to the Food Experts system accurately and within agreed timeframes. Complete all DD administrative tasks daily maintain up to date Approved Supplier Lists for all suppliers in supply and in line with M&S agreed targets.
• Monitor DD throughout the supply period and investigate any incidences of non-compliancy, near misses and unapproved grower arrivals, in conjunction with dps TM. Ensure all incidences are captured and recorded in the appropriate tracker.
• Lead the daily residue sample request process in close collaboration with the Compliance and Sustainability coordinator and dps Technical Compliance coordinators (for shared sources).
• Ensure supplier ethical and human rights compliance in line with customer policies. Including SAQ completion, site linking and ethical audit bookings are completed in line with agreed M&S timelines.
• Perform recall and traceability exercises as requested and in line with team rota.
• Work closely with the Compliance and Sustainability Coordinator to maintain the master dps sendac supplier and grower code database, create new codes for new suppliers/growers and issue a monthly report to highlight grower code ‘XML’ gaps.
• Ensure your knowledge of customer requirements for responsible sourcing (food safety compliance, ethical and environmental) is in line with dps (M&S), and customer (M&S and Ocado) policies for each product and country of origin, and conveyed appropriately to suppliers before the season, or in the event requirements change.
• Ensure industry ESG knowledge and insight is always commercially relevant, using a range of credible sources (including, but not exclusive to; key customer sustainability strategies, WRAP, WWF, UNSDG, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, IPCC, CCC and literature publications).
• In conjunction with dps TMs, collate all required compliance data for customer and supplier end of season reviews (EOS).
• In conjunction with the Group Head of Responsible Sourcing and Compliance and Sustainability CoOrdinator implement the M&S Plan A and dps (M&S) Operating Responsibly plan.
• Contribute to the development of the Group SBTI reporting approach and Net Zero strategy by mapping the renewable energy status of M&S select farm certified producers and pack at source sites.
• Coordinate supplier Food Waste, GHG, Water Risk and Sustainable Farming certification reporting, including but not limited to; supplier on-boarding, data collation, trend analysis and periodic impact reports.
• Aim to support the dps (M&S) objectives and own personal objectives as required.
• In the event of absence support the DD requirements for other categories within dps, as required.
• Support the wider Technical Team to respond to any ad-hoc customer data or information requests.
• Represent dps (M&S) at any industry meetings required, reporting to the business in a timely manner.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Previous experience in auditing – GMP, HACCP Level 2 Trained & TACCP trained.
• BRCGS, Customer & Food Safety Standards – Understanding
• Pesticide Awareness, Knowledge.
• Previous experience in Compliance, accreditations.
• Understanding and experience of customer audit requirements –M&S, Ocado etc.
• Some Knowledge of Prophet – ERP Systems
  

For a superstar Sustainability and Compliance Assistant we can offer the following benefits:

• Company Pension, 2% employee contribution and 7% employer contribution
• Enhanced Annual Leave
• Free food onsite
• Annual Bonus of up to 10%
• Salary Sacrifice
• Electric Car Scheme
• A competitive Annual Salary
• Onsite Parking
• 25 Days annual leave as standard
• Hybrid Working