Technical Manager
Food Manufacturing
Full-Time | Permanent
Are you an experienced Technical Manager with a passion for food safety, quality, and continuous improvement? Do you thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where maintaining the highest technical standards is critical? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
About the Role
We are seeking a highly motivated Technical Manager to lead our Technical and Quality function, ensuring our products consistently meet customer expectations, legal requirements, and industry standards.
Reporting to the Site Director, you will take ownership of the site’s Quality Management System, lead audits, manage customer relationships from a technical perspective, and drive a culture of food safety and quality throughout the business.
This is a key leadership position, working closely with Production, Operations, Engineering, NPD, and Supply Chain to ensure technical excellence across the site.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and develop the site’s Technical and Quality team.
- Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System (QMS).
- Ensure compliance with BRCGS, HACCP, retailer standards, and all relevant food legislation.
- Manage customer technical relationships, specifications, and audits.
- Lead external audits, including BRCGS certification, customer, and regulatory inspections.
- Oversee internal audit programmes and ensure corrective actions are completed effectively.
- Manage supplier approval processes and raw material quality standards.
- Investigate customer complaints, non-conformances, and root cause analysis, implementing preventative actions.
- Monitor KPIs relating to quality, food safety, hygiene, and compliance.
- Lead the site’s HACCP and Food Safety Culture programmes.
- Support product launches and process changes from a technical perspective.
- Ensure all staff receive appropriate food safety and quality training.
- Keep up to date with changes in legislation and customer requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the technical function.
About You:
We’re looking for someone who combines technical expertise with strong leadership skills and a proactive approach to problem solving.
You will ideally have:
- Previous experience as a Technical Manager, Quality Manager or Senior Technical professional within food manufacturing.
- Strong knowledge of BRC Food Safety Standard.
- Excellent understanding of HACCP principles and food safety legislation.
- Experience managing customer and third-party audits.
- Knowledge of retailer standards (Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, etc.).
- Experience managing technical teams and developing people.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- A continuous improvement mindset.
Desirable Qualifications
- Degree in Food Science, Food Technology or a related discipline.
- Level 4 HACCP qualification.
- Lead Auditor qualification.
- Food Safety qualification (Level 4 or equivalent).
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