Category Technical Manager - Produce

Forza Foods Ltd; Ackton; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15% In-store discount

Annual bonus scheme

33 days annual leave

Enhanced pension

Job summary

Forza Foods Ltd, at IPL Normanton, is seeking a Category Technical Manager to lead technical guidance for salad products within the Asda/IPL supply base. The role includes managing specifications, audits, supplier performance, and cross-functional collaboration with procurement and QA teams.

You will support responsible sourcing, drive KPI improvements, and ensure product safety and quality while travelling across the UK and overseas supplier base.

Qualifications

• Experience in a technical role within a retail food business, ideally with fresh produce.
• Auditing third party vendors and internal audits.
• Ability to translate technical issues into clear language.
• Agile and able to manage priorities and workload.

Responsibilities

• Manage ASDA/IPL specifications and communicate requirements to suppliers.
• On-board and maintain due diligence controls of suppliers and audit readiness.
• Collaborate with QA teams at packing sites to ensure specs are met.
• Use data management and trend analysis to drive corrective actions.
• Influence supplier selection and calendar to secure best quality at right price.
• Lead the new product and varietal plan with procurement.
• Support packaging reductions and EPR-related initiatives with GNFR teams.
• Keep updated on industry issues affecting safety, quality, legality, or availability.
• Support Responsible Sourcing commitments and engage with NGO/government bodies.
• Develop technologist/technical administrator team members for succession planning.
• Visit ASDA suppliers and stores to monitor quality and drive improvements.

Skills

Auditing

Supplier management

Data analysis

Influencing

HACCP

Travel flexibility

Education

HACCP Level 3

Lead Assessor experience

Job description

About The Role

Join Our Dynamic Technical Team at IPL Normanton! We are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for a Category Technical Manager to become a vital part of our Technical Team at our Produce Packing Facility facility in Normanton. If you are passionate about and eager to contribute to a dynamic team, this role is perfect for you!

As Category Technical Manager, your role will be to support and influence the Produce business, and ensure that a balanced technical argument is incorporated into the category decision‑making process, specifications are fit for purpose and implemented with ease.

Position Details

• Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5pm
• Location: IPL Normanton - with flexibility to travel across our UK and overseas supplier base as and when required
• Contract Type: Permanent

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Management of ASDA/IPL specifications and communication to the business/supply base ensuring goods to specification are procured and supplied.
• On-boarding and maintaining due diligence controls of our suppliers, and auditing requirements
• Interaction with QA teams in ASDA and IPL packing sites to ensure specifications are met.
• Use of customer feedback, data management and trend analysis to enable implementation of corrective actions relating to IPL agreed technical KPI’s
• Influencing buying decisions in relation to supplier selection and supply calendar, to ensure the best quality products at the right price are always available for our customers
• Delivering the new product and varietal plan alongside the procurement teams
• Supporting the GNFR team to deliver practical solutions within our supplier base for the reduction and/or removal packaging that will impact or EPR charges.
• Keeping up to date with industry issues and factors that could potentially affect product safety, quality, legality, integrity or availability, and putting actions in place to mitigate the impact on IPL/ASDA products
• Supporting our Responsible Sourcing objectives and commitments, being the eyes and ears within our supplier base, helping our suppliers to deliver initiatives that support our commitments, and where applicable engaging with NGO’s and Govt. organisations
• Managing our technologist / technical administrator colleagues, developing their skills and experience to ensure we have robust succession plans
• Visit Asda suppliers and stores regularly to monitor quality, see how our products are performing, engaging with our store colleagues and suppliers to drive quality perception improvements within span of control.

What are we looking for?

• The guardian of product safety, quality and legality for salad products in Asda.
• Experience in a technical role within a retail food business, ideally with fresh produce experience although not essential
• Experience and confidence in auditing third party vendors as well as conducting internal audits
• Ability to translate technical issues into easily understood language
• Agile and able to manage priorities and workload for self and direct reports.
• Able to remain laser focussed on product quality with an understanding of commercial
• Logical and evidence led approach with good influencing skills
• HACCP Level 3 and internal auditing/BRC training and Lead Assessor experience is desirable but not essential
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to travel to sites within the UK and overseas
• Knowledge of the full project life cycle
• A full driving licence with access to your own vehicle is essential for this due to the amount of travel involved

What's in it for you?

At IPL, Forza, and Kober, we're dynamic businesses, dedicated to fostering the development of our colleagues and creating an exceptional work environment. We believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration to drive our success. To continue our growth, we're seeking individuals who embody our values, culture, and commitment.

• 15% Asda In-store Discount
• Annual Bonus Scheme
• 33 days Annual Leave - Inclusive of 8 days bank holiday
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Life Assurance - All our colleagues benefit from life assurance of 4 x their annual base salary
• Help@hand - Free, direct access to health and wellbeing support service, including unlimited video consultations with a UK-based GP 24/7, physiotherapy, and mental health support
• Grocery Aid - We’ve partnered with Grocery Aid to provide our colleagues and their families with a wide range of emotional, practical, and financial support services
• Electric Vehicle Scheme*
• Asda Mobile Discount - 30% off a wide range of Asda Mobile bundles and add-ons for our colleagues and one of their family members
• Discounted health assessments - We have exclusively negotiated rates on Self-Pay BUPA Health Assessments for you and members of your household
• Asda Pet Insurance discount – Up to 10% Discount
• Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) - MAB can provide fee‑free*, no‑obligation mortgage and protection advice
• Exclusive Exchange Rates via Asda Money - our colleagues can get a better exchange rate for their travel money when buying currency through Asda Travel Money (TravelEx)
• Ride-to-work scheme - We work with Evans to provide our colleagues with great savings across their range of bikes, clothing, and equipment
• Care Concierge - The Care Experts. Talk to us - we're listening - Legal & General’s Care Concierge resource

Plus, lots more! Depending on job band, other fantastic benefits are also available including private healthcare, car allowances, and long-term incentive schemes.

About Us

Our purpose here at IPL, Forza & Kober is simple, we are one team who creates exceptional value for our customers and our mission is to support Asda on their journey to becoming #2 in the marketplace.

Through our people we live and breathe our values and we play to our strengths, but we also support each other’s development. We are a community of passionate individuals who possess a wide variety of skills and expertise, who work collectively to form a high performing team and a company to be proud of.

We are committed to a fully inclusive business that is representative of our customers, locations and the communities we serve. We recognise the value in diversity and welcome applications from all candidates regardless of sex, age, race, religion, gender or sexual identity and socio-economic background. We are committed to making

Our culture is our people and our people are our culture!