Quality Manager

Are you an experienced Quality professional looking to take ownership of site quality standards within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment? Our client, a leading premium food manufacturer, is seeking a Quality & Process Manager to join their Technical team. This is an excellent opportunity to lead quality assurance activities, drive continuous improvement, and play a key role in maintaining the highest standards of food safety, legality, and product quality.

The Opportunity

Reporting into the Technical function, you'll work closely with Operations to ensure products consistently meet customer and regulatory expectations. You'll lead the site's Quality Assurance team, oversee technical systems, and champion a culture of quality throughout the factory.

This role offers a blend of strategic responsibility and hands-on involvement on the factory floor, making it ideal for someone who enjoys leading teams while driving operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

* Partner with Operations to ensure product safety, legality, and quality standards are maintained at all times.

* Lead, coach and develop the Quality Assistant and QA team to achieve high performance and accountability.

* Manage factory technical procedures and raw material quality systems.

* Take ownership of quality and food safety decisions, escalating issues where appropriate.

* Lead monthly quality meetings and drive continuous improvement initiatives across the site.

* Manage site auditing programmes, including GMP, hygiene, fabrication, glass and plastic audits.

* Oversee calibration schedules, microbiological testing and sampling programmes.

* Manage non-conformance reporting, root cause analysis and corrective actions.

* Play an active role within the HACCP team, including verification, validation and traceability exercises.

* Support new product launches and coordinate technical systems and KPI reporting.

* Lead site readiness for external audits, including BRC compliance.

* Drive projects that improve product quality, reduce waste and enhance manufacturing performance.

Product & Site Responsibilities

* Ensure finished products meet agreed specifications prior to release.

* Oversee taste panels and product quality assessments.

* Manage traceability exercises, mass balance activities and customer complaint investigations.

* Maintain high site standards relating to hygiene, pest control, housekeeping and factory compliance.

* Provide technical support for day-to-day factory quality challenges.

About You

To be successful, you'll have:

* Previous experience in a Quality Management role within food manufacturing.

* A strong understanding of food safety, quality systems and compliance.

* Experience leading and developing quality teams.

* Excellent communication skills with the confidence to influence stakeholders at all levels.

* A proactive, organised approach with strong attention to detail.

* The ability to balance technical responsibilities with a visible presence on the factory floor.

* A food-related degree or qualification is desirable.

* Strong IT and numerical skills.

If you're passionate about food quality, enjoy leading teams, and are looking for an opportunity to make a genuine impact within a successful and growing food manufacturer, we'd love to hear from you
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed