Head Of Technical

Major Talent; Pontefract; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Major Talent seeks a Head of Technical to own site-wide quality, food safety, compliance and hygiene at its Pontefract manufacturing site. You will lead the QA, Technical Compliance and Hygiene teams, developing robust systems and managing audits with major retailers.

You will drive the technical agenda, ensure BRCGS and legislation compliance, and partner with operations to embed a strong food safety culture and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science or related discipline with substantial management experience.
• Level 4 HACCP and Level 4 Food Safety qualifications required.
• Strong knowledge of BRCGS, UK/EU food safety legislation and allergen controls.
• Experience managing customer and regulatory audits and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the site's technical strategy aligned with business and customer needs.
• Oversee HACCP, VACCP, TACCP and ensure audit readiness and compliance.
• Lead QA, Technical Compliance and Hygiene teams to manage risk and drive improvements.
• Build customer relationships and manage major retail audits and regulatory visits.
• Drive continuous improvement across the site and monitor key technical KPIs.
• Collaborate with Operations, NPD, Commercial and Procurement to support launches.

Skills

Leadership

Food Safety

HACCP

Compliance

Quality Management

Education

Degree in Food Science

Level 4 HACCP

Level 4 Food Safety

Job description

Head of Technical

Location: Pontefract
Salary: £70,000
Contract: Full-time, senior leadership position

Are you an experienced technical leader within food manufacturing, ready to take ownership of site-wide quality, food safety, compliance and hygiene? Do you have the strategic vision to strengthen technical standards while building a high-performing team and maintaining the confidence of major retail customers?

Our client is seeking a Head of Technical to lead its technical, quality, compliance and hygiene functions at its manufacturing site in Burton-on-Trent. This is a senior leadership role with significant influence over site performance, customer relationships, operational standards and the development of a strong food safety culture.

Reporting to the General Manager, with a group-level technical reporting line, you will be a key member of the Site Leadership Team. You will lead the QA Manager, Technical Compliance Manager and Hygiene Manager, ensuring that products are consistently manufactured to the highest standards of safety, legality, authenticity and quality.

This is an opportunity for a commercially aware, technically strong professional who can combine strategic leadership with a hands‑on approach to managing risk, driving improvement and delivering results.

The Role

• You will develop and deliver the site's technical strategy, ensuring it aligns with business objectives, customer expectations and wider group requirements. Taking overall ownership of the Food Safety and Quality Management System, you'll ensure systems remain robust, effective and audit-ready, while continually identifying opportunities to improve standards and reduce risk.
• You will oversee HACCP, VACCP and TACCP, ensuring that food safety hazards, product authenticity risks and potential threats are properly assessed, controlled and reviewed. You'll also maintain compliance with BRCGS requirements, UK food legislation, customer codes of practice and relevant industry standards.
• As the senior technical authority on site, you'll provide clear advice to the leadership team on emerging risks, regulatory changes, audit performance and technical priorities. You'll use data, risk assessments and key performance indicators to drive decision‑making and ensure that technical performance supports both operational efficiency and customer confidence.

Customer, Audit & Regulatory Leadership

• Building and maintaining strong customer relationships will be central to the role. You'll act as a key technical contact for major retail customers and foodservice partners, managing technical visits, customer expectations and audit requirements. You'll also maintain effective relationships with Environmental Health, Trading Standards and other relevant authorities.
• You’ll lead and host customer, regulatory and third‑party audits, including BRCGS and applicable certification schemes. This will involve ensuring that documentation, specifications, customer portals and supporting evidence are accurate, current and consistently maintained.
• You will oversee internal audit programmes, ensure corrective actions are completed effectively and lead the response to non‑conformances, customer complaints, contamination concerns and food safety incidents. Applying robust root‑cause analysis, you'll ensure corrective and preventative actions address underlying issues and deliver sustainable improvements.
• Traceability, mass balance, supplier assurance and raw material approval will also sit within your remit, alongside ensuring compliance with labelling, allergen and product integrity requirements.

Quality, Hygiene & Continuous Improvement

• You'll lead the site's approach to hygiene, housekeeping, GMP, allergen management and environmental monitoring, ensuring that factory standards remain consistently high. Working closely with Operations and the Hygiene team, you'll oversee cleaning regimes, verification activities and the controls required to protect product safety and quality.
• You’ll also work collaboratively with New Product Development, Commercial and Procurement teams to support product trials, concept validation, technical sign-off, supplier approval and raw material introduction. Oversight of specifications, artwork approval and compliance checks will be important in ensuring products meet customer requirements and all relevant legislation before launch.
• A key objective will be to drive continuous improvement across the site. You’ll monitor and improve technical KPIs, including audit performance, customer complaints, microbiological results, GMP standards and right‑first‑time quality. By translating technical data into practical actions, you’ll help embed a proactive approach to risk management and operational excellence.

Leadership & Team Development

• You will lead and develop the site's Technical, Quality, Compliance and Hygiene functions, creating a culture in which high standards, accountability and continuous improvement are part of everyday working practices.
• You’ll coach and support your direct reports, identify development needs, strengthen succession planning and ensure the team has the skills and capability to meet both current and future business requirements. Through effective performance management and cross‑functional collaboration, you’ll influence behaviours across the wider factory, ensuring food safety and quality are understood as everyone's responsibility.
• You’ll also work with the Site Leadership Team and Group Technical leadership to communicate performance, highlight emerging risks, agree priorities and deliver strategic technical plans.

What We’re Looking For

• You’ll have a degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology or a related discipline, together with substantial technical management experience within food manufacturing. Level 4 HACCP and Level 4 Food Safety qualifications are required.
• You will bring strong knowledge of BRCGS, HACCP, retailer technical standards and UK and EU food safety legislation, including allergen controls and labelling requirements. You’ll have experience managing customer and regulatory audits, maintaining quality management systems and overseeing technical specifications and compliance documentation.
• Previous experience leading and developing technical teams is essential, as is the ability to influence stakeholders across Technical, Operations, Commercial, Procurement and senior management.
• You’ll be analytical, organised and detail-oriented, with the confidence to make sound decisions and remain calm under pressure, particularly during audits, customer escalations or food safety incidents. Strong communication and stakeholder management skills are vital, alongside a proactive, solutions-focused approach and a genuine commitment to continuous improvement.
• Above all, you’ll be a visible and credible technical leader who takes ownership, acts with integrity and understands the importance of protecting consumers, customers and the business.

Why Consider This Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad technical function within a food manufacturing operation, combining strategic influence with responsibility for day‑to‑day standards and long‑term improvement.

You’ll have the scope to shape the site's technical direction, develop your team, strengthen customer partnerships and influence performance at both site and group level.