Quality Manager

Reed Specialist Recruitment; Coventry; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Lead QA team

Cross-functional projects

Audit exposure

Job summary

Reed Specialist Recruitment in Coventry is seeking a QA Manager to lead the day-to-day quality assurance function within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. This role ensures compliance with food safety, quality, customer, and legal requirements while driving high standards across site operations.

The successful candidate will manage the QA team, oversee laboratory activities, and coordinate audits with production, engineering, hygiene, and suppliers to support continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Previous QA or relevant food industry experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems and food safety systems.
• Experience investigating customer complaints and implementing corrective actions.
• Good understanding of customer and third-party audit standards.
• HACCP Level 3 and Level 3 Food Hygiene as a minimum.
• Basic Health and Safety knowledge.
• Audit qualification and microbiology experience are highly desirable.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Excellent communication, prioritisation, and team management skills, with the ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily activities of the site QA function, including the laboratory, and supervise QA team performance, attendance, holiday cover, and communication with HR.
• Ensure food safety and quality standards are met at all times by monitoring compliance with Food Safety and Quality Plans.
• Co-ordinate and investigate customer complaints, identify root causes, and ensure corrective and preventative actions are completed in a timely manner.
• Lead investigations into food safety and quality incidents, working with operations and engineering to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Enforce company policies and procedures relating to health and safety, food safety, GMP, quality, and attendance.
• Act as the site quality and food safety champion, helping to reduce complaints, rejections, and products placed on hold.
• Oversee the daily taste panel process and follow up on any sub-standard product findings.
• Train, coach, and mentor QA Technicians and operatives on work instructions, critical control points, and best practice.
• Support customer and third-party audits, lead traceability exercises, and present findings confidently to auditors.
• Co-ordinate micro and nutritional testing programmes, ensuring schedules are maintained and customer codes of practice are met.

Skills

Quality management

Food safety

Audits

Root cause analysis

Team leadership

Communication

IT skills

Education

HACCP Level 3

Food Hygiene Level 3

A-level or higher

Diploma in food discipline

Job description

QA Manager

• Job Type: Full-time


• Location: On-site, Coventry


• Salary: £40,000


• Department: Technical & QA

We are seeking a QA Manager to lead the day-to-day quality assurance function within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. This QA Manager position is responsible for ensuring compliance with food safety, quality, customer, and legal requirements, while driving high standards across site operations. The successful QA Manager will work closely with production, engineering, hygiene, warehouse, HR, and external auditors to protect product quality and support continuous improvement.

Day-to-day of the role

• Manage the daily activities of the site QA function, including the laboratory, and supervise QA team performance, attendance, holiday cover, and communication with HR.


• Ensure food safety and quality standards are met at all times by monitoring compliance with Food Safety and Quality Plans.


• Co-ordinate and investigate customer complaints, identify root causes, and ensure corrective and preventative actions are completed in a timely manner.


• Lead investigations into food safety and quality incidents, working with operations and engineering to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.


• Enforce company policies and procedures relating to health and safety, food safety, GMP, quality, and attendance.


• Act as the site quality and food safety champion, helping to reduce complaints, rejections, and products placed on hold.


• Oversee the daily taste panel process and follow up on any sub-standard product findings.


• Train, coach, and mentor QA Technicians and operatives on work instructions, critical control points, and best practice.


• Support customer and third-party audits, lead traceability exercises, and present findings confidently to auditors.


• Co-ordinate micro and nutritional testing programmes, ensuring schedules are maintained and customer codes of practice are met.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Previous QA or relevant food industry experience within a manufacturing environment.


• Strong knowledge of quality management systems and food safety systems.


• Experience investigating customer complaints and implementing corrective actions.


• Good understanding of customer and third-party audit standards.


• HACCP Level 3 and Level 3 Food Hygiene as a minimum.


• Basic Health and Safety knowledge.


• Educated to A-level standard minimum; a diploma or higher qualification in a food-related discipline would be advantageous.


• Audit qualification and microbiology experience are highly desirable.


• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.


• Excellent communication, prioritisation, and team management skills, with the ability to work under pressure.

Benefits

• Benefits package to be discussed at application stage.


• Opportunity to lead and develop a quality assurance team.


• Involvement in continuous improvement and cross-functional projects.


• Exposure to customer audits, supplier interaction, and site-wide quality initiatives.