Head of Technical

Drnewitt; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A major UK chilled food group is seeking a Site Head of Technical to lead technical functions across three manufacturing sites. This senior role involves managing a technical team, ensuring food safety and compliance, and developing performance standards. It offers career-defining progression within a fast-growing business with high-profile customer engagement and autonomy. Ideal candidates will have significant leadership experience in food manufacturing and strong relationships with UK retailers.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical teams in food manufacturing, especially chilled products.
• Ability to manage compliance and relationships with UK retailers.
• Experience in fast-paced environments with a focus on auditing.
• Commercially aware, resilient and confident in fast-paced environments.
• Degree qualified with knowledge of food safety and auditing credentials.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical function across three sites, focusing on food safety and quality.
• Manage a large technical team and drive continuous improvement.
• Implement group technical strategy and ensure audit excellence.
• Drive audit excellence and lead customer visits and launches.
• Utilise data and insight to improve technical performance.
• Build strong cross-functional and customer relationships.

Skills

Senior technical leadership experience in food manufacturing

Strong UK retailer experience

Proven audit leadership

Commercial awareness

Confidence in fast-paced environments

Education

Degree qualified with food safety credentials

Job description

Job Description

Site Head of Technical

A senior, visible leadership role with genuine group progression

This is not a “keep the wheels turning” technical role.
This is a career-defining opportunity to take full technical ownership across three closely located manufacturing sites within a major UK chilled food group that is expanding fast and investing heavily in its future leadership.

Why this role is different – what’s in it for you

• Real scale & influence – lead technical across multiple sites, shaping standards, performance and culture

• Direct exposure to group leadership – reporting into the Group Head of Quality & Compliane

• A business in major growth mode – complexity, challenge and opportunity

• Clear progression beyond site – a proven pathway into broader group technical and leadership roles

• Autonomy with backing – authority to lead, improve and challenge, supported by a strong group framework

• High-profile customer engagement – working with some of the UK’s most demanding retailers

If you’re ambitious, commercially aware and ready to accelerate your career, this role is built for you.

The Role

You will lead the technical function across three sites, delivering the site and customer technical strategy while driving food safety, legality, quality and integrity. Working closely with site leadership, customers and group functions, you will set standards, lead teams and drive continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• Full ownership of technical customer management and compliance

• Lead, develop and performance-manage a large site technical team

• Implement and embed the group technical strategy

• Drive audit excellence and lead customer visits and launches

• Use data and insight to continuously improve technical performance

• Build strong cross-functional and customer relationships

About You

• Senior technical leadership experience in food manufacturing (ideally chilled)

• Strong UK retailer experience (ideally M&S, Tesco, Asda, JS)

• Proven audit leadership and customer-facing capability

• Commercially aware, confident and resilient in fast-paced environments

• Degree qualified with strong food safety and auditing credentials

In short

This is a high-impact, multi-site leadership role within a growing group where strong performance leads to real progression.
If you want influence now — and bigger opportunities ahead — this is the role.