Customer Facing Technical Manager, Worcestershire, Competitive Salary

JK Recruitment Ltd; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK-based recruitment agency is looking for a candidate who will focus on customer-oriented product and varietal development. The role includes ensuring product quality, compliance with safety regulations, and participation in audits. Candidates should possess a solid understanding of food safety legislation and demonstrate ability in coaching and supporting technical teams.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of EU and UK legislation relevant to food safety.
• Ability to raise technical standards and monitor compliance.
• Experience in risk assessment programs for food safety.

Responsibilities

• Understand and meet customer requirements for new products.
• Ensure all products comply with quality and safety standards.
• Conduct internal audits and participate in external audits.

Job description

Customer focussed NPD and New Varietal Development

• Understand customer requirements for new products and packaging, feed this back to business.
• Work closely with Sales, Packaging and Operations teams to deliver the best new and existing product development.
• Ensure customers are aware of our new product and variety work through meetings and sampling.
• Successfully identify technical projects to introduce innovation to the business. This will include new varietal development that improves quality and consistency of product and availability, packaging development, new technology and considers sustainable, ethical, environmentally responsible issues.
• Ensure new product trials and set-up within the packhouse.
• Use technical and market knowledge to inspire the customer to generate future investment from suppliers / growers.
• Take specific responsibility for the customer artwork and new design developments for your products ensuring that all aspects of the process are completed on a timely and efficient way.

Food Safety, Quality & Key Performance Indicators

• Ensure all products meet ours and customer requirements for quality, authenticity, safety, and legality.
• Work within the technical and wider teams to develop our food safety culture.
• Raise Technical standards and awareness across site, and monitor compliance to Customer Codes of Practice and BRC requirements
• Walk factory floor to drive Technical standards & compliance to third party and Customer requirements.
• A good understanding of EU and UK legislation relevant to tomatoes and spring onions packing.
• Contribute to the food safety & quality strategy
• Ensure customer complaints are logged and trended, co-ordinate investigations
• Manage the Quality improvement plan for business which should be aligned to the strategic aims of the customers.
• Where product fails to meet customer specification work with technical, operations and procurement team to put in place corrective actions.
• Take an active role within production regarding stock usage and suitability for customers.
• Contribute to the continual improvement of the Company Manual and the infrastructure to support compliance with legislative and customer requirements relating to safety, quality, and legality of our products.
• Write, review, and update technical policies and procedures.
• Provide written and verbal reports on frequent basis as to the progress of various projects.

HACCP

• As part of the team, implement a cross-functional risk assessment programme for food safety, encompassing HACCP and TACCP

Internal & External Audits

• Complete internal audits/self-inspections as part of the technical team, as per annual schedule, ensuring root cause analysis and corrective actions are implemented.
• Participate in preparation of audits & visits.
• In conjunction with the technical team, contribute to supplier risk assessments, taking into account product safety, authenticity, quality and legality.
• Risk-based selection and prioritization of external audits for growers and other suppliers; visiting growers in the UK and overseas to ensure that suppliers meet company and legal requirements.
• Liaise with agronomists and growers on matters relating to tomatoes.

Team

• Coaching, mentoring, supporting, and challenging our technical team.
• Provide Technical support as required across sites.
• Provide cover for technical team members

Overarching

• Ensure your job is carried out in a safe and appropriate manner which conforms to the Health & Safety at Work Act.
• Adopt a flexible approach to work. A critical member of our leadership team, work regular office hours, and be prepared to work hours outside of regular hours when necessary.
• Take responsibility for driving your personal development.
• The role will mainly be based at Blackminster; however, you will need to travel to Springhill packhouse to perform some of these duties. By agreement, there may be need to work at other company sites not stated.
• The role requires out-of-office activities such as visiting customers, growers, depots, conferences, exhibitions, and to keep abreast of changes in the marketplace. There will also be travel, in both the UK, and abroad.
• On occasion there may be a need to provide cover for other colleagues.