Factory Technical Manager

Found Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading FMCG company in Cambridge is seeking a Factory Technical Manager to oversee technical activities and lead QA teams. This role requires a hands-on leader who is familiar with GMP, hygiene, and audit processes within food manufacturing. You will ensure the stability of technical standards and enhance team capability in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. This position offers a competitive salary of £55,000-£60,000 plus excellent benefits, making it an exciting opportunity for a driven professional.

Benefits

25 days holiday

Bank holidays

Excellent benefits

Qualifications

• Proven factory-facing quality leadership experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
• Experience managing QA and/or hygiene teams with direct reports.
• Deep understanding of GMP, hygiene, and food safety in a live manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead factory-facing technical activity, setting expectations and standards.
• Line manage QA and hygiene teams, building capability and ensuring clarity.
• Lead site audits end-to-end, embedding audit readiness into daily practice.

Skills

Factory-facing quality leadership

Audit leadership

People leadership

GMP and hygiene knowledge

Technical judgement

Job description

Factory Technical Manager - High-Growth FMCG Opportunity

Salary: £55,000-£60,000 + excellent benefits including 25 days holiday + bank holidays

Are you ready to take the next step in your career with a fast-growing, category-redefining FMCG business?

We are looking for a Factory Technical Manager to be the senior technical authority on site, bringing calm, credibility, and consistency to the factory as the business scales in volume. In this role you will be hands‑on, reporting directly to the Head of Technical, giving you the chance to shape standards, lead teams, and make a visible impact on a high‑growth site.

Why this role is exciting:

• Lead all technical and quality activity on site, being the visible, trusted technical presence for the factory
• Drive audit readiness, hygiene, GMP, and technical standards as the business grows
• Act as deputy to the Head of Technical, providing leadership cover and continuity
• Shape teams, processes, and standards in a rapidly scaling environment
• Opportunity to work in a fast‑paced, high‑growth FMCG brand, where your impact is tangible

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead factory‑facing technical activity, setting expectations and standards through visibility and engagement
• Line manage QA and hygiene teams, building capability and ensuring clarity, ownership, and accountability
• Own and improve GMP, hygiene, cleaning regimes, and environmental standards
• Lead site audits end‑to‑end, representing the business confidently and embedding audit readiness into daily practice
• Investigate and resolve quality incidents and deviations with strong technical judgement
• Partner with production, engineering, and operations to support new equipment, process changes, and volume growth
• Maintain technical discipline without slowing the business down

Who we're looking for:

• Proven factory‑facing quality leadership experience in food or beverage manufacturing
• Experience managing QA and/or hygiene teams with direct reports
• Strong audit leadership experience, including customer and certification audits
• Deep understanding of GMP, hygiene, and food safety in a live manufacturing environment
• Comfortable being fully site‑based, hands‑on, and highly visible on the factory floor
• Calm, credible, and practical with the ability to make decisions under pressure
• Strong people leader who builds capability, maintains standards, and drives continuous improvement

Nice‑to‑have experience:

• Experience in high‑risk, fast‑paced, or short‑to‑medium shelf life manufacturing
• Background in retailer supplier environments with high expectations and pace
• Exposure to growth, scale‑up, or change programmes within manufacturing

What success looks like in the first 6‑12 months:

• Factory technical standards stabilised and visibly improved
• QA and hygiene teams operating with clarity, confidence, and ownership
• Audits delivered calmly with fewer findings and faster close‑out
• Repeat issues reduced due to stronger root cause analysis and prevention
• Operations view the technical function as supportive, enabling, and trusted
• The wider technical function can focus on future capability with confidence that the site is well controlled

If you are ready for a hands‑on, high‑impact role in a fast‑growing, ambitious FMCG business, and want to make a real difference on the factory floor, we'd love to discuss the role in more detail