Lead Technical Manager FTC

The People Co. / Assure Jobs; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The People Co. / Assure Jobs is seeking a Lead Senior Category Technical Manager to provide technical leadership across a broad portfolio of own-label products. You will oversee CSR, supplier approvals, quality systems and regulatory compliance throughout the NPD process.

Leading a small team, you will collaborate with Buying, Product Development, Quality, Sustainability and Operations to ensure compliant, high-quality products launched with due diligence and robust quality standards.

Qualifications

• A scientific degree or equivalent qualification.
• Min 5 years' experience in a technical, quality or food safety role.
• Experience leading technical activities within a product development environment.
• Strong supplier auditing, supplier assurance and quality management experience.
• Experience creating, reviewing and approving product specifications.
• Demonstrable success influencing cross-functional stakeholders and driving change.
• Previous people management and team leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems, food safety standards and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent project management, organisation and prioritisation skills.
• The ability to analyse complex information, make sound decisions and solve problems effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical delivery of new product development projects, ensuring all technical, regulatory and CSR requirements are met within agreed timelines.
• Act as the technical expert within cross-functional project teams, influencing stakeholders and driving successful product launches.
• Oversee the creation, review and approval of product specifications across food and non-food categories.
• Ensure all products meet legal, safety, quality, traceability and international compliance requirements.
• Develop, implement and continuously improve supplier quality management systems.
• Manage supplier approval processes, audits and ongoing supplier performance programmes.
• Conduct supplier audits and site visits, ensuring corrective actions are implemented and closed effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives relating to product quality, food safety, ethical sourcing and sustainability.
• Monitor and report on supplier performance, CSR commitments, worker welfare and modern slavery risk management.
• Lead technical training programmes for internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Lead surveillance testing programmes and ensure trends, risks and performance data are reported effectively.
• Lead, coach and develop Technical Development Technologists to deliver high levels of performance and engagement.

Skills

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Project management

Quality systems

Supplier auditing

People management

Education

Scientific degree

Job description

The Company

Our client is a prestigious and highly respected premium retail and hospitality business with an international reputation for quality,innovationand exceptional customer experience. With a diverse portfolio of own-brand products and a complex global supply chain, they are committed tomaintainingthe highest standards of product quality, food safety,sustainabilityand ethical sourcing.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Technical & Sustainability, the Lead Senior Category Technical Manager will provide technical leadership across a broad portfolio of food and non-food own-label products.

This is a pivotal role responsible for managing the technical and corporate social responsibility (CSR) elements of the new product development process, supplier approvalprogrammes, technical compliance, auditing, specificationmanagementand supplier quality systems.

Leading a small team, you will work cross-functionally with Buying, Product Development, Quality, Sustainability and Operational teams, while building strong partnerships across a diverse supplier base. You will be instrumental in ensuring products are developed and launched with full legal compliance, robust due diligence, effective riskmanagementand industry-leading quality standards.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the technical delivery of new product development projects,ensuringall technical, regulatory and CSR requirements are met within agreed timelines.
• Act as the technical expert within cross-functional project teams, influencing stakeholders and driving successful product launches.
• Oversee the creation,reviewand approval of product specifications across food and non-food categories.
• Ensure all products meet legal, safety, quality,traceabilityand international compliance requirements.
• Develop,implementand continuously improve supplier quality management systems.
• Manage supplier approval processes,auditsand ongoing supplier performanceprogrammes.
• Conduct supplier audits and site visits, ensuring corrective actions are implemented and closed effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives relating to product quality, food safety, ethicalsourcingand sustainability.
• Monitor and report on supplier performance, CSR commitments, workerwelfareand modern slavery risk management.
• Maintain and develop operational procedures,policiesand codes of practice to manage business risk.
• Lead technical trainingprogrammesfor internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Manage surveillance testingprogrammesand ensure trends,risksand performance data are reported effectively.
• Lead, coach and develop Technical Development Technologists to deliver high levels of performance and engagement.

Person Profile

The successful candidate will be a credible and influential technical professional with a strongtrack recordwithin retail,manufacturingor a related consumer goods environment.

You will possess:

• A scientific degree or equivalent qualification.
• A minimum of five years' experience in a technical,qualityor food safety role.
• Proven experience leading technical activities within a product development environment.
• Strong supplier auditing, supplierassuranceand quality management experience.
• Experience creating,reviewingand approving product specifications.
• Demonstrable success influencing cross-functional stakeholders and driving change.
• Previouspeople management and team leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems, food safetystandardsand regulatory requirements.
• Excellent project management,organisationandprioritisationskills.
• The ability toanalysecomplex information, make sounddecisionsand solve problems effectively.
• Strong communication, relationship-buildingand stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, delivery-focused approach with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational execution.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced technical leader looking to play a key role in shaping product quality, supplierstandardsand sustainability performance within a highly regardedorganisation.