Divine Courage Marange
Harare
Summary
Detail-oriented professional specializing in tobacco blending and quality assurance. Adept at blending , conducting sensory evaluations and maintaining rigorous quality control measures to deliver consistent, high-quality tobacco products.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Tobacco Blender
Cut Rag Processors
Harare, Zimbabwe
01.2020 - 04.2026
- Manages and oversees and the entire leaf, procurement, storage and production process whilst ensuring that all quality control standards are met throughout the department.
- Conducting sensory evaluation and quality control tests to ensure quality consistency and maintaining smoke integrity's of in-house and customer blends.
- Blend development for customers upon request.
- Maintaining accurate records and documentation of blending procedures, processing instructions, and quality control measures.
- Developing cigarette and filter manufacturing specifications cards and monitoring quality assurance in SMD.
- Managing of extremely sensitive information such as blend formulas, order volumes, cut rag customers and subjective smoking results.
- Leaf sourcing – blend set up, monitoring green leaf threshing, smoke and visual assessments of trials and production runs.
- Managed a team of blending technicians, providing guidance and training on industry best practice
- Collaborated with research and development teams to explore new tobacco blends and enhance blending methodologies.
- Implemented a quality control system to ensure the accuracy and consistency of tobacco blends.
- Manages and oversees and the entire leaf, procurement, storage and production process whilst ensuring that all quality control standards are met throughout the department.
- Conducting sensory evaluation and quality control tests to ensure quality consistency and maintaining smoke integrities of in-house and customer blends.
- Blend development for customers upon request.
- Maintaining accurate records and documentation of blending procedures, processing instructions, and quality control measures.
- Developing cigarette and filter manufacturing specifications cards and monitoring quality assurance in SMD.
- Managing of extremely sensitive information such as blend formulas, order volumes, cut rag customers and subjective smoking results.
- Leaf sourcing – blend set up, monitoring green leaf threshing, smoke and visual assessments of trials and production runs.
- Managed a team of blending technicians, providing guidance and training on industry best practice
- Collaborated with research and development teams to explore new tobacco blends and enhance blending methodologies.
- Implemented a quality control system to ensure the accuracy and consistency of tobacco blends.
- Conducted regular market research to identify industry trends and respond to customer demands.
- Conducted thorough sensory evaluations of tobacco samples to ensure consistent quality and meet customer specifications.
- Participated in industry conferences and exhibitions to stay abreast of technological advancements in tobacco blending.
- Engaged with tobacco suppliers to foster strong connections, ensuring reliable access to superior quality tobaccos.
- Managed tobacco inventory levels to prevent shortages or overstocking.
- Developed and implemented a tobacco blending training program for new employees.
- Participated in tobacco industry trade shows and events to showcase blending capabilities and build business relationships
- Conducted regular market research to identify industry trends and respond to customer demands.
- Conducted thorough sensory evaluations of tobacco samples to ensure consistent quality and meet customer specifications.
- Participated in industry conferences and exhibitions to stay abreast of technological advancements in tobacco blending.
- Established and maintained strong relationships with tobacco suppliers to ensure the availability of high-quality raw materials.
- Managed tobacco inventory levels to prevent shortages or overstocking.
- Developed and implemented a tobacco blending training program for new employees.
- Participated in tobacco industry trade shows and events to showcase blending capabilities and build business relationships
Education
Bachelor of Science - Agricultural Economics & Development
Midlands State University
Gweru12-2016
Skills
- Visual & Smoke Sensory Evaluation
- Casing & Flavoring
- Blend set ups and costings
- Stock duration calculation
- Primary manufacturing
- Stock Inventory management
- GLT PSD data interpretation
- Leaf blending – product development
- PMD & SMD quality assurance
Accomplishments
- Developed a new blend that increased sales revenue by 15% due to its superior taste and aroma.
- Led a team to optimize the blending process, resulting in a 20% reduction in production time and a 10% improvement in product consistency.
- Identified and implemented new suppliers, reducing raw material costs by 12% while maintaining the same quality standards.
- Increased cut rag sales volume to China market by 20%
Timeline
Tobacco Blender
Cut Rag Processors
01.2020 - 04.2026
Bachelor of Science - Agricultural Economics & Development
Midlands State University