Head of Technical

Years; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £70,000 - £80,000

Medicash

Learning & Development budget £250

Wellbeing budget £200

Volunteer day

Team events subsidies

Discounts on Years treats

Lunch & Learn programme

Job summary

Years is seeking a Head of Technical to build the technical and food safety foundations for a fast-growing dog-food business. You will drive audits, certifications, and the culture needed to scale nationally and internationally.

Your immediate priorities include continuing progress toward full BRC accreditation, leading audits for potential retail partners, and shaping infrastructure and documentation across production, operations, and NPD teams.

Qualifications

• Experience leading food safety and quality systems.
• Hands-on experience with retailer audits and certifications.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP principles and compliance frameworks.
• Proven ability to build and lead technical teams in a manufacturing setting.
• Track record of driving continuous improvement in quality and safety.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the technical and food safety strategy across the business.
• Lead the site through SALSA certification, then progress toward full BRCGS Pet Food Global Standard within 18 months.
• Build and embed food safety management systems, HACCP, and QA processes for a scaling business.
• Ensure compliance with PFMA Codes of Practice, FEDIAF Guidelines, and related regulations.
• Prepare the business for SEDEX membership and broader supply chain assurance.
• Verify nutritional adequacy of finished products against FEDIAF guidelines.
• Lead and develop the technical and quality team, embedding a strong safety culture.

Skills

Food manufacturing experience

BRC accreditation

Auditing

HACCP

Leadership

Job description

Join Our Pack

From a bold idea to revolutionising dog food,Yearshas grown into a fast-scaling business dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives.

In just 3 years, we’ve built agreat start upbusiness, servingthousands of happy customers, all while striving to achieve our mission.

Our goal? To give dog owners abetter, fresher, and healthierway to feed their pets. We providehuman cut, personalised mealsdesigned to support each dog’s unique needs, delivered straight to their door - no preservatives, no compromises, just real nutrition.

You can find our customers across theUK, with future ambitions toscale internationallyand continue transforming how people care for their dogs.

Your Mission

As Head of Technical, you'll own the technical and food safety foundations that everything else at Years is built on. We've grown fast on the strength of our product and our customers' trust in it - this role exists to make sure that trust is backed by the systems, certifications, and culture to match, as we move from a fast-growing start-up into a business built to scale nationally and, eventually, internationally.

Your immediate priority is continuing our progress toward full BRC accreditation, and leading on audits related to our potential retail partners. This isn't a maintenance role: you'll be building on our technical infrastructure, documentation, and site culture, so you'll need to be as comfortable rolling your sleeves up on the production floor as you are shaping strategy with the leadership team. You'll report directly to Darren, our CEO, and work closely with him, our Technical Manager and the wider leadership team as these foundations take shape.

You'll work closely with our Production, Operations, and NPD teams day to day, and with our customer and retail partners as we grow those relationships. Expect a genuine mix of hands-on delivery and strategic ownership - you'll be the one setting the direction, but also very much in the room (and on the floor) making it happen.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead the technical and food safety strategy across the business


• Lead the site through SALSA certification, then progress us toward full BRCGS Pet Food Global Standard certification within 18 months


• Build and embed food safety management systems, HACCP, and quality assurance processes fit for a scaling business


• Ensure compliance with PFMA Codes of Practice, FEDIAF Guidelines, and Animal By-Products Regulations across our fresh, meat-based product range


• Prepare the business for SEDEX membership and wider supply chain and ethical assurance requirements


• Verify nutritional adequacy of finished products against FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines for Cats and Dogs


• Lead and develop the technical and quality team, embedding a strong food safety culture across the site


• Act as the primary technical contact for customers, retailers, and auditors


• Oversee supplier approval, product specifications, allergen management, traceability, and non-conformance management


• Own crisis management and product recall/withdrawal readiness for our direct-to-door delivery model


• Keep the business ahead of regulatory change and evolving industry standards as we grow

What You'll Bring

• Food manufacturing experience essential; pet food experience preferred


• Proven experience in a senior technical or quality role, having taken multiple companies through BRC accreditation and maintained that standard across a site


• Hands-on experience managing retailer audits


• Strong working knowledge of SEDEX, HACCP, and food safety legislation


• Formal qualifications such as HACCP Level 3/4, and ideally a BRCGS Lead Auditor qualification


• Experience with allergen management, traceability, mock recall, and crisis/product recall management


• A track record of building and maintaining technical systems and culture, not just achieving certification once


• Experience building and leading a technical/quality team


• Confident, hands-on leadership style - comfortable being on the floor as well as working alongside the SLT


• Excellent communication skills, with experience managing retailer and customer technical relationships


• A genuine excitement for building something from an early stage, in a fast-moving, ambitious business

Nice to have:

• Working knowledge of PFMA, FEDIAF, and Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR) - genuinely useful given our fresh, meat-based product

What’s In It For You? Years Benefits

• Salary of £70,000 - £80,000


• Medicash Level 4 Cashback plan


• Spill EAP and Mental Health Support programme


• Annual £250.00 Learning & Development budget for courses, books or other self-learn activities each year


• Annual £200.00 Wellbeing budget each year


• Up to 2 weeks working abroad per year (selected roles)


• Monthly recognition through our Yappa of The Month programme


• 1 Volunteer day per year - dog themed or not: it’s your choice!


• Subsidised employee groups - from five a side to padel there’s loads to get involved in or the chance to start up your own group


• Bi-annually subsidised team events from Axe throwing, crazy golf to cocktail making


• Exclusive discounts on Years and Years treats for yourself and friends/family


• Lunch & Learn programme - from dog first aid to financial savviness we’ve got sessions planned to cover all kinds of topics


• Casual dress


• Your birthday off or different day if it falls on a non-working day