Head Of Technical

The Sterling Choice; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is seeking a Head of Technical for its North-West England food manufacturing operations. You will oversee two sites in Greater Manchester, shaping a clear technical strategy and ensuring alignment across teams and stakeholders.

You will lead four managers and drive collaboration between Site Technical, Customer Technical and Supplier Quality, with autonomy to influence decisions at senior levels and across functions.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Ability to align site technical teams with business strategy.
• Open-minded to diverse product backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Technical across two Manchester-area sites with distinct challenges.
• Develop a clear Technical strategy and drive cross-functional alignment.
• Lead four managers covering Site Technical, Customer Technical and Supplier Quality.
• Influence decisions across Operations, Commercial and Procurement to benefit the business.

Job description

Head of Technical
Food Manufacturing
North-West EnglandTotal Comp: Up to £120,000 +10% Bonus

There's a big difference between being responsible for a Technical function and having the authority to actually lead it.

This opportunity offers both.

You'll be joining a major food manufacturing group that has recently restructured its Technical leadership team, creating a position with greater autonomy, clearer accountability and genuine influence over how the function operates.

With two manufacturing sites across Greater Manchester, you'll oversee two very different operations, each with its own technical challenges, customer requirements and opportunities for growth.

But you won't be expected to know everything about every product.

You'll have four experienced managers reporting directly into you, covering Site Technical, Customer Technical and Supplier Quality. Your job will be to bring that expertise together, establish a clear strategy and make sure the different functions are working towards the same objectives.

And that's where this role gets interesting.

You'll have the freedom to challenge how things are done, influence decisions across Operations, Commercial and Procurement, and ensure Technical has a meaningful voice throughout the business.

Whether it's a supplier decision, a new product launch or an operational challenge, you'll be the person bringing the right people together and making sure decisions work for the business as a whole.

There's also a significant people leadership element. You'll be developing an established management team, giving them direction, supporting their growth and creating a Technical function that works collaboratively rather than in isolation.

They're looking for someone with senior Technical leadership experience within food manufacturing, but they're deliberately keeping an open mind on product background.

Your ability to lead people, influence stakeholders and think strategically matters far more than being a specialist in one particular category.

You'll have the backing of a major food manufacturing group, a competitive six-figure package and the autonomy to manage your time across both sites.