Head of Technical

Bells of Lazonby; East Lindsey; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Bells of Lazonby is seeking a Head of Technical to join their leadership team in Lazonby, Cumbria. This role involves leading food safety and compliance efforts in a family-run bakery with over 75 years of heritage. The successful candidate will oversee audits, manage a technical team, and ensure high-quality standards across all products. The position offers a competitive salary and various employee benefits, including annual leave, health assurance, and discounts.

Benefits

33 days annual leave including Bank Holidays

Company Sick Pay

Health Assurance Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Discounted cakes

Free fruit, tea and coffee

Free onsite parking

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Refer a Friend scheme up to £400 in bonuses

Shopping discounts

Qualifications

• Experience as a Head of Technical or Senior Technical Manager in food manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of high care or high risk production environments.
• Calm under pressure with sound incident management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead food safety, HACCP, and hygiene strategies across production zones.
• Coordinate and represent the site during all third-party and customer audits.
• Manage and develop the site technical team through clear objectives.

Skills

Food Safety

HACCP

Auditing

Team Management

Communication

Presentation Skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Degree in Food Science or Food Technology

Level 3 in Food Safety and HACCP

Lead Auditor qualification

Job description

Bells of Lazonby have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Technical to join our leadership team.

Location: Lazonby, Cumbria, CA10 1BG
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Job Type: Full-Time, Contract (Minimum 15 months, starting August)
Schedule: Monday to Friday (40 hours per week)

Close Date: 6th June 2025

About Us:

We re a family-run bakery with over 75 years of heritage, crafting delicious cakes and sweet pastries for the UK s biggest retailers and coffee shop chains. At Bells of Lazonby, we re proud to offer both traditional and Free From baked goods from our BRCGS-accredited site in the heart of Cumbria.

We re now looking for a confident and experienced Head of Technical to help drive our quality, food safety and compliance agenda and support our journey of continuous improvement.

Head of Technical - Role Overview:

As Head of Technical, you ll take the lead in shaping and delivering our site s Technical, Quality, Food Safety, Hygiene and Compliance standards. You ll work closely with our leadership team and be a key point of contact for major UK retailers and coffee shop brands.

You ll inspire and develop our technical team, oversee audits and compliance, and champion product safety and quality across our main and gluten-free bakeries.

This role works alongside a Compliance-focused counterpart, with shared responsibility across several areas.

Head of Technical - Key Responsibilities:

- Lead our food safety, HACCP and hygiene strategies across all production zones

- Coordinate and represent the site during all third-party and customer audits

- Maintain compliance with UK food legislation, BRCGS, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance and customer codes of practice

- Act as the main point of contact for supermarket and coffee shop technical teams

- Deliver customer KPI reports on complaints, allergen testing and hygiene

- Manage and develop the site technical team through clear objectives and coaching

- Oversee technical documentation, traceability, swabbing and allergen control systems

- Support NPD, packaging reviews and seasonal launches with technical input

- Contribute to risk assessments, disaster recovery planning and incident investigations

Head of Technical - What We re Looking For:

- Experience as a Head of Technical or Senior Technical Manager in food manufacturing

- Strong understanding of high care or high risk production environments

- Confident managing audits, customer relationships and cross functional teams

- Strategic thinker with excellent communication and presentation skills

- Calm under pressure, with sound incident management experience

- Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills

- Commercially aware and solutions-focused

Head of Technical - Qualifications & Experience:

- Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or related subject (or equivalent experience)

- Minimum Level 3 in Food Safety and HACCP

- Lead Auditor qualification or equivalent experience (desirable)

Head of Technical - What You ll Get in Return:

- 33 days annual leave including Bank Holidays

- Company Sick Pay

- Health Assurance Scheme

- Cycle to Work Scheme

- Discounted cakes

- Free fruit, tea and coffee

- Free onsite parking

- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

- Refer a Friend scheme up to £400 in bonuses

- Shopping discounts and more

Application Process:

Bells of Lazonby is committed to equal opportunities and proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. We re happy to accept applications in a range of formats, just let us know your needs.

To apply for this exciting Head of Technical opportunity, please click Apply now!