Quality Assurance Director

Aldi UK; Atherstone; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Remote work (2 days)

6 weeks annual leave + bank holidays

MyBenefits program discounts

24/7 confidential virtual GP service

Job summary

Aldi UK is seeking a Director – Buying services- Quality Assurance to lead safety, legality and quality across multiple product areas. The role requires a calm, strategic leader who can drive complex programs, influence senior stakeholders and deliver robust QA standards.

The successful candidate will bring 10+ years of industry experience in FMCG or food sectors, deep regulatory knowledge, and a proven ability to manage risk and drive cross-functional collaboration to protect ALDI’s brand and

Qualifications

• Minimum of a 2.1 Science related degree or equivalent.
• Deep domain knowledge in safety, legality and quality standards.
• Experience leading QA teams in FMCG/food manufacturing or food service.
• Proven ability to manage risk and supplier recognition.
• Strong regulatory awareness across international markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead senior technical teams to uphold ALDI’s safety, legality, and quality standards.
• Influence stakeholders across Buying, suppliers and external partners.
• Drive continuous improvement and risk management across product categories.

Skills

Senior leadership

Safety & compliance

Supplier management

Regulatory awareness

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Strategic delivery

Effective communication

Commercial awareness

Education

Science degree (2:1)

Job description

To be successful, the Director – Buying services- Quality Assurance will be an experienced senior technical leader with deep domain expertise in product safety, legality, quality standards, supplier assurance and regulatory compliance. They will be able to lead high-performing teams, manage risk effectively and influence stakeholders across the business to protect ALDI’s reputation and deliver consistently high standards for customers.

The QA vision is to make ALDI the trusted destination for affordable, quality products that meet our target customers’ expectations for reliability, safety and compliance. GB/IE QA supports Buying to deliver products that consistently meet customer needs and uphold ALDI’s safe, legal and quality standards.

Your New Role

The role requires a calm, tenacious, dynamic and diligent leader who can bring order and clarity to complexity, creating a positive and engaging environment that enables a highly motivated team to deliver consistently. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with practical execution, simplifying ways of working, removing unnecessary complexity and maintaining momentum in a role that requires influence, resilience and clear prioritisation rather than direct ownership of wider business strategy.

About You

• Senior technical leadership — be an experienced senior technical leader with a minimum of 10 years’ industry experience across FMCG, food manufacturing or food service.
• Safety, legality and quality knowledge — demonstrate strong knowledge of safety, legality and quality standards, including relevant legislation, industry standards and retailer requirements.
• Team leadership — proven ability to lead, develop, motivate and get the best from technical or QA colleagues.
• Risk management — able to identify, assess and mitigate product, supplier, regulatory and reputational risks accurately and at pace.
• Supplier and product approval — experienced in supplier assurance, product specifications, audits and approval processes.
• Regulatory awareness — strong international understanding of current and emerging regulations affecting food, non-food and FMCG products.
• Stakeholder management — confident influencing senior leaders, Buying teams, suppliers and external partners through clear, credible and constructive engagement.
• Network — able to build and maintain strong internal and external networks, using relationships across the business, supplier base and wider industry to share knowledge, identify emerging risks, support continuous improvement and protect business reputation.
• Strategic and operational delivery — able to set clear direction while ensuring day-to-day standards, processes and controls are delivered consistently and effectively.
• Solution and action orientated — able to move quickly from issue identification to practical solutions, taking ownership to drive decisions, progress actions and deliver outcomes at pace.
• Strong communication skills — able to simplify complex technical matters, act as a true translator between specialist and non-specialist audiences, and make information clear and accessible to all. Shares expertise openly and with humility, creating understanding rather than using information or knowledge as a source of power.
• Commercial awareness — able to balance quality, safety, customer expectations, cost and operational practicality to support sound business decisions.
• Minimum of 2.1 Science related degree/or equivalent
• Extensive industry specific experience
• Educational qualifications in the following areas would be desirable: Food science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Health & Nutrition, Microbiology, Environmental Health/Regulatory relevant.
• Experience of working across several different product areas
• Demonstrating an ability to respond to market changes.
• Management of multiple projects
• New product development & Product Safety Management including, Crisis and Incident Management
• Deep domain knowledge of effective supplier management including management through KPIs and technical review process.
• Used to driving business change at pace in current and/ or previous roles
• Cross - functional working.
• Ability to analyse and distil complex information and summarise with impact at pace
• Engaging, dynamic and versatile with the ability to influence at all levels

What You’ll get in Return

• Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with the opportunity of 2 days remote working
• 6 weeks’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• In office flexi-time
• Full training provided
• Private employee medical insurance
• Company maternity and adoption leave from commencement and paternity leave pay
• Long service rewards
• Access to MyBenefits, where you can find a wide range of benefits, including our bike to work scheme, shopping and cinema discounts, health cash plan, a FREE will, travel and discounted gym memberships, as well as a host of benefits to support your financial and wellbeing needs.
• Access to a free,24/7, confidential virtual GP service for all Aldi Colleagues and their children (under the age of 16)

*You’ll need to live within 90 minutes of your main working location

**Please be aware that this role does not fulfil the requirements for visa sponsorship.

Aldi is an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and are dedicated to promoting a culture of inclusion, providing an environment in which collaboration, respect and fairness are essential. We value diversity and are dedicated to treating all of our colleagues and prospective colleagues fairly and with respect.