Head of Technical

Henderson Brown Recruitment Limited; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Henderson Brown Recruitment Limited is partnering with a major retailer to appoint a Head of Technical in Cambridgeshire. This role will shape the technical strategy and be the trusted voice for customer requirements across the fresh produce supply chain.

You will own retailer relationships, lead the technical agenda, and drive performance improvements using data-driven insights. A leadership role focused on quality, safety, and compliance within a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

Qualifications

• Significant technical experience in fresh produce and agricultural supply chains.
• Strong understanding of product quality, food safety, legality and quality controls.
• Proven ability to own major retailer technical relationships and manage senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop retailer technical relationships with major UK retailers.
• Lead the customer technical agenda, ensuring codes of practice, specifications and compliance are delivered.
• Set technical strategy and oversee KPIs, reviews and escalation management with data-driven insights.
• Lead and develop the Technical function with a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Commercial, Operations, Procurement and Quality to resolve complex technical challenges.
• Provide technical leadership across the fresh produce supply chain, ensuring product integrity and supplier assurance.
• Represent the business at customer meetings, technical reviews, and strategic forums.

Skills

Fresh produce

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Food safety

Quality standards

Supply chain excellence

Job description

Own Major Retailer Relationships. Shape Technical Strategy. Lead Fresh Produce Excellence.

Reporting directly to the Commercial Director, this is a high-profile leadership position where technical expertise, customer relationship management and commercial understanding come together. You'll be the trusted technical voice for the business, ensuring retailer expectations are consistently exceeded while protecting product integrity, food safety, legality and quality throughout the supply chain.

Head of Technical

Cambridgeshire

Competitive package

What You'll Be Doing:

• Own and develop the technical relationships with multiple retailers, becoming a trusted and credible partner to customer technical teams and the key point of escalation for significant issues
• Lead the customer technical agenda, ensuring retailer Codes of Practice, specifications, food safety requirements, quality standards, ethical expectations and compliance programmes are consistently delivered
• Set the technical strategy and oversee customer KPIs, performance improvement plans, technical reviews and escalation management, using insight and data to drive stronger customer performance
• Lead, support and develop the Technical function, creating a culture centred around accountability, customer service, continuous improvement and technical excellence
• Work cross-functionally with Commercial, Operations, Procurement, Quality and the wider supply chain to resolve complex technical challenges and identify opportunities to improve product and service performance
• Provide technical leadership across the fresh produce supply chain, ensuring robust controls around product safety, legality, authenticity, quality, traceability, supplier assurance and product integrity
• Represent the business at customer meetings, technical reviews and strategic forums, confidently communicating technical performance, risks, opportunities and improvement plans
• Act as a senior technical advisor to the Commercial Director and wider leadership team, translating customer expectations and emerging market requirements into practical business strategies

What We're Looking For:

• Significant technical experience within fresh produce, with a strong understanding of agricultural supply chains, product quality, food safety and technical compliance
• Proven experience owning the technical relationship with a major UK retailer, with the confidence to manage senior customer stakeholders, challenging conversations and escalations
• Excellent knowledge of retailer technical standards, food safety, quality, legality, product integrity and supply chain compliance
• Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to operate credibly with customers, suppliers, senior leadership and cross-functional teams
• A proactive, commercially aware and solutions-focused approach, with the confidence to set direction, manage competing priorities and drive meaningful technical improvements