Site Head of Technical

About the Role

We are recruiting for an experienced Head of Technical to lead the full technical, food safety and compliance agenda for a high‑volume meat manufacturing site. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for shaping technical strategy, driving standards, and ensuring the site consistently meets customer, retailer and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will be a confident technical leader with deep experience in red meat and/or poultry, strong retailer engagement skills, and a proven track record of delivering audit excellence in fast‑paced FMCG environments.

Key Responsibilities

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Lead the site Technical, Quality and Food Safety functions, ensuring full compliance with BRCGS, retailer COPs (Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, M&S), and all legal requirements.

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Own and develop the site Technical Strategy, driving continuous improvement and embedding a strong food safety culture.

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Lead and mentor the Technical, QA and Hygiene teams, building capability and high‑performing behaviours.

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Oversee HACCP, VACCP/TACCP, allergen management, micro standards, and all technical risk assessments.

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Manage customer relationships, hosting audits and visits with major UK retailers and foodservice partners.

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Ensure robust systems are in place for traceability, specifications, labelling, CCP validation, and incident management.

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Drive improvements in GMP, hygiene, and factory standards across high‑care and high‑risk areas.

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Lead internal audit programmes and ensure the site is audit‑ready at all times.

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Work closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD and Supply Chain to support safe, efficient and compliant production.

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Manage departmental budgets and technical KPIs, ensuring effective reporting and governance.

Key Requirements

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Proven experience as a Head of Technical, Technical Manager, or senior technical leader within meat manufacturing.

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Strong knowledge of BRCGS, retailer COPs, HACCP Level 4, and food safety legislation.

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Experience in high‑care / high‑risk environments (red meat, poultry, ready‑to‑cook or ready‑to‑eat).

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Excellent leadership skills with experience managing multi‑disciplinary technical teams.

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Strong customer‑facing capability with confidence hosting audits and presenting technical information.

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Ability to influence at all levels and drive site‑wide improvements.

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A proactive, structured and commercially aware approach to technical management.

What’s on Offer

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Senior leadership role with full site ownership

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Opportunity to shape technical strategy and drive standards

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Strong progression potential within a growing food manufacturing group

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Competitive salary + benefits package
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed