Head Of Technical

Redfox Executive; West Stow; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Redfox Executive is seeking a Head of Technical to lead a fast-growing, sustainability-driven food business from Bury St Edmunds. You will own the technical strategy, ensuring food safety, quality, legality and ethical sourcing underpin every product.

You will lead supplier governance and cross-category technical governance across fresh produce, dairy, meat, fish, bakery and ambient ranges, building a high-performing technical team and driving supplier performance improvements.

Qualifications

• Significant senior technical leadership experience within food manufacturing, retail, foodservice or a major food supply business.
• Strong fresh produce knowledge, complemented by experience across at least two additional categories such as dairy, meat, fish or bakery.
• Excellent understanding of UK food legislation, BRC standards, HACCP and food safety management systems.
• Proven experience managing supplier assurance, technical audits, third-party manufacturers and co-packers.
• Experience building or developing technical functions within growing or changing businesses.
• A strong track record of leading, mentoring and developing technical teams.
• Experience supporting NPD, own-brand products and consumer-focused food businesses.
• A relevant food science or food technology qualification, together with HACCP Level 3 or above.

Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering a technical strategy that supports ambitious business growth and product diversification.
• Leading food safety, quality assurance, technical compliance and accreditation across multiple food categories.
• Establishing robust technical governance, supplier approval processes, specifications and risk management systems.
• Building strong technical relationships with growers, manufacturers, suppliers and third-party co-packers.
• Driving continuous improvements in product quality, customer satisfaction and supplier performance.
• Supporting new product development and ensuring the safe introduction of new categories and products.
• Leading technical sustainability initiatives, including ethical sourcing, packaging improvements, carbon reduction and B Corp commitments.
• Developing and inspiring a high-performing Technical team, creating the systems and capabilities needed for future growth.
• Ensuring effective traceability, product recall procedures and regulatory compliance across the supply chain.

Skills

Senior technical leadership

Fresh produce knowledge

Commercial thinking

Strategic technical governance

Supplier relationship management

Mentoring & team development

NPD & own-brand support

Education

Food science / food technology qualification

HACCP Level 3 or above

Job description

An exciting opportunity to shape the technical future of a fast-growing, purpose-driven food business!

Are you a commercially minded Technical Leader who loves a challenge, thrives on innovation and wants to make a genuine difference to the future of food?

An ambitious, sustainability-focused food business is looking for an exceptional Head of Technical to lead its technical strategy through an exciting period of growth and diversification. With a strong heritage in fresh produce and a genuine commitment to reducing food waste, the business is evolving into a multi-category, multi-channel food brand, expanding into chilled dairy, meat, fish, bakery and ambient products.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a forward-thinking technical professional to build, influence and lead a function that will be central to the company’s future success.

Reporting into the senior leadership structure, the successful candidate will take ownership of the technical strategy, ensuring that food safety, quality, legality, ethical sourcing and sustainability remain at the heart of the business.

Far from being a purely compliance-focused position, this is a highly influential leadership role where technical expertise will help shape commercial decisions, support innovation and enable the business to grow confidently into new categories.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering a technical strategy that supports ambitious business growth and product diversification.
• Leading food safety, quality assurance, technical compliance and accreditation across multiple food categories.
• Establishing robust technical governance, supplier approval processes, specifications and risk management systems.
• Building strong technical relationships with growers, manufacturers, suppliers and third-party co-packers.
• Driving continuous improvements in product quality, customer satisfaction and supplier performance.
• Supporting new product development and ensuring the safe introduction of new categories and products.
• Leading technical sustainability initiatives, including ethical sourcing, packaging improvements, carbon reduction and B Corp commitments.
• Developing and inspiring a high-performing Technical team, creating the systems and capabilities needed for future growth.
• Ensuring effective traceability, product recall procedures and regulatory compliance across the supply chain.

The Person

The business is looking for a confident, engaging and commercially astute technical leader who can combine strategic thinking with a practical, hands-on approach.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Significant senior technical leadership experience within food manufacturing, retail, foodservice or a major food supply business.
• Strong fresh produce knowledge, complemented by experience across at least two additional categories such as dairy, meat, fish or bakery.
• Excellent understanding of UK food legislation, BRC standards, HACCP and food safety management systems.
• Proven experience managing supplier assurance, technical audits, third-party manufacturers and co-packers.
• Experience building or developing technical functions within growing or changing businesses.
• A strong track record of leading, mentoring and developing technical teams.
• Experience supporting NPD, own-brand products and consumer-focused food businesses.
• A relevant food science or food technology qualification, together with HACCP Level 3 or above.

Experience within direct-to-consumer, subscription food businesses, B Corp environments or sustainability-led organisations would be particularly attractive.

Why This Role?

This is more than just another Head of Technical position.

It offers the chance to join a business with a genuine purpose, where sustainability isn’t simply a corporate statement but a fundamental part of its identity.
The successful individual will have the opportunity to shape technical strategy, influence business growth, introduce new product categories and build a technical function capable of supporting an exciting next chapter.
It’s a role for someone who enjoys creating solutions rather than simply maintaining systems, someone who can challenge convention while maintaining the highest standards of food safety and quality.

If they’re passionate about great food, commercial innovation and making the food supply chain more sustainable, this could be the perfect next career move.

Head of Technical • Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, GB