A. In-House Production 

• Plan and manage day-to-day small-scale in-house production (e.g. quick-cook/dehydrated beans, roasted nuts, porridge flours) to agreed volumes, quality standards and timelines. 
• Operate, clean and carry out basic maintenance of processing and packaging equipment; flag repair needs early to avoid downtime. 
• Supervise and train casual workers for production runs, ensuring they follow hygiene and safety rules. 
• Implement and enforce Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), hygiene and food safety SOPs based on HACCP principles, including cleaning schedules, personal hygiene and pest control. 
• Inspect incoming raw materials and carry out in-process and finished-product quality checks (e.g. moisture, foreign matter, net weight, sealing, labelling). 
• Apply batch coding and maintain full traceability from raw material to finished product. 
• Track yields, losses and input usage, and keep production and stock records up to date in the ERP system (Odoo). 

B. Product Development and Certification 

• Research, develop and test new recipes and formulations (e.g. bakery products, tomato paste, dehydrated products, instant and fortified porridges), taking them from concept to market-ready product. 
• Improve existing products, including taste, texture, cooking time, consistency, and shelf life. 
• Support management in costing each formulation by providing accurate ingredient quantities, yields, packaging and processing requirements. 
• Run sensory evaluations, consumer tasting trials and shelf-life studies. 
• Ensure products meet relevant Uganda and East African Standards, including fortification and labelling requirements. 
• Prepare and manage UNBS certification for new products: documentation, sample submission, follow-up on laboratory analysis and preparation for inspections. 
• Identify and evaluate ingredients, packaging materials and suppliers. 

C. SME Support and StartHub Makerspace 

• Provide technical guidance to MSMEs in StartHub’s community and programmes on product formulation, processing, packaging, shelf life and food safety. 
• Operate machinery at the StartHub Makerspace (e.g. bakery and dehydration lines) and coach entrepreneurs to produce safely and independently. 
• Guide MSMEs through UNBS certification, including gap assessments, SOPs, documentation and sample preparation. 
• Support the set-up of Makerspace production lines, including equipment commissioning, layout and SOPs. 
• Deliver practical trainings on GMP, hygiene and food safety for entrepreneurs. 

D. Documentation and Reporting 

• Maintain an up-to-date database of all MSMEs supported, including the type of support given, results and certification status. 
• Keep accurate batch records, quality check records and cleaning logs for all production. 
• Document all product development trials, formulations, costings and results. 
• Maintain the food safety manual and SOPs so they are always ready for UNBS inspections and audits. 
• Submit a monthly report on production, R&D progress and SME support, and keep timesheets showing time spent on in-house production and R&D versus SME support. 

E. Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Safeguarding 

• Keep MSMEs’ recipes, formulations and business information strictly confidential and never use them in in-house product development. MSMEs retain full ownership of their own formulations. 
• Where in-house production and MSMEs share equipment or facilities, allocate time fairly and transparently according to the agreed booking schedule. 
• Declare any actual or potential conflict of interest promptly to your supervisor. 
• Comply with StartHub Africa’s safeguarding policy, communicate reporting channels to entrepreneurs and Makerspace users, and escalate concerns promptly.