Quality Assurance Manager

Stonegate Farmers; Lacock; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Stonegate Farmers in Lacock seeks an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead the Packing Centre QA team and maintain the highest food safety and quality standards. You will drive systems, audits and improvement programs across shifts to protect product integrity and customer confidence.

You will coach the operations team on quality matters, ensure compliance with BRC and other standards, and foster a proactive culture of quality and continuous improvement across the site.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years' experience in a similar technical or quality leadership role within food manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance systems and regulatory requirements in food manufacturing.
• Proactive, solutions-focused approach with confidence in decision-making.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to changing operational priorities and communicate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and support the Packing Centre QA team across shifts.
• Coach and support the wider operational team on quality assurance matters.
• Maintain and develop systems to ensure compliance with BRC Global Standards for Food Safety.
• Ensure changes to products, processes, equipment and environment protect food safety and quality.
• Oversee factory audits, surveillance testing, inspections and traceability programmes.
• Identify and manage non-conformances with root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Lead QA projects and collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Develop systems for monitoring, recording and reporting product quality.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the Packing Centre.
• Champion a positive food safety and quality culture across the business.

Skills

Quality leadership

Quality assurance

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

HACCP Level 3

Food Hygiene Level 3

Internal Auditor qualification

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to join our Technical team at our Lacock site.

This is a key role within our Packing Centre, responsible for ensuring the highest standards of food safety, quality, legality, authenticity and product integrity are maintained across our operation.

Leading a team of 3 QA Supervisors and 9 QA Operatives across our Blue, Red and Green shifts, you will provide professional, proactive technical and quality support to the factory. You will develop the capability of the QA team, strengthen our quality systems and work closely with colleagues across the operation to embed a strong food safety and quality culture.

As Quality Assurance Manager, you will:

• Lead, develop and support the Packing Centre QA team, ensuring the structure and capability of the department continues to meet the needs of the business.
• Coach and support the wider operational team on quality assurance matters, enabling effective decisions around food safety, quality, authenticity and integrity.
• Maintain and develop systems to ensure compliance with BRC Global Standards for Food Safety, customer requirements and other relevant third-party standards.
• Ensure changes to products, processes, equipment and the factory environment are effectively managed to protect food safety, quality and customer confidence.
• Oversee and continuously improve factory audits, surveillance testing, inspections and traceability programmes.
• Identify and manage non-conformances relating to quality, legality, food safety and customer standards, ensuring effective root cause analysis and timely corrective action.
• Lead QA projects and work collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure requirements are delivered on time and in full.
• Develop effective systems for monitoring, recording and reporting product quality.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the Packing Centre.
• Champion and embed a positive food safety and quality culture across the business.

About you

You'll be an experienced quality professional with a strong background in food manufacturing and the confidence to lead a team within a fast-paced production environment.

You'll bring:

• A minimum of 2 years' experience in a similar technical or quality leadership role within food manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance systems and regulatory requirements within the food manufacturing sector.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and confidence in making decisions.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to remain resilient and adaptable when managing changing operational priorities.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships across different teams and levels of the business.
• A genuine commitment to food safety, product quality and continuous improvement.

Essential qualifications

• HACCP Level 3
• Food Hygiene Level 3
• Internal Auditor qualification

Desirable experience

Experience within a protein manufacturing environment, including red meat, white meat, fish or eggs, would be particularly advantageous.

Knowledge and experience of the shell egg supply chain would also be highly desirable.