Quality Manager

Drnewitt; Epping Forest; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Drnewitt is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead our QA team and uphold food safety and technical standards across the site. You will ensure products meet customer expectations, maintain traceability, and comply with food safety and legal requirements including BRCGS, working closely with Technical, Supply Chain and operations to drive continuous improvement and staff development.

This hands-on leadership role demands strong decision making, collaboration across functions and

Qualifications

• Experience implementing, embedding and maintaining technical standards within a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience working to a recognised third‑party standard such as BRCGS.
• Experience coordinating and implementing HACCP within a food manufacturing environment.
• Minimum Level 3 / Intermediate HACCP training; Level 4 / Advanced HACCP would be an advantage.
• Experience auditing products against internal and recognised third‑party standards.
• Strong understanding of food safety, quality, legality and traceability requirements.
• Experience managing or supervising a small team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Quality team, providing mentoring and training to develop capability.
• Maintain and continually improve QA procedures, records and site standards.
• Ensure products meet food safety, quality and legal standards before leaving site.
• Support Supplier Technical Manager with supplier specifications and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Contribute to HACCP reviews, risk assessments and audits, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Skills

Strong leadership

People management

QA management

HACCP

Food safety

Quality standards

Decision making

Education

Level 3 HACCP

Level 4 HACCP

Job description

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced and confident Quality Assurance Manager to lead our QA team and play a key role in maintaining and continually improving quality, food safety and technical standards across the site.

This is a hands-on leadership role, responsible for ensuring that all products leaving site meet or exceed customer expectations, while maintaining robust records, full product traceability and compliance with all relevant food safety and legal requirements, including BRCGS standards.

Working closely with the Technical, Supply Chain and wider operational teams, you will help drive high standards, develop our people and ensure that quality and food safety remain at the heart of the operation.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Management

• Lead and manage the Quality team.
• Manage team rotas, holiday and sickness cover, ensuring appropriate site coverage at all times.
• Provide mentoring, coaching and training to develop team capability.
• Identify opportunities for upskilling and cross-training within the QA team.

Quality & Site Standards

• Maintain, review and continually improve QA procedures, processes and records.
• Ensure technical and quality standards are consistently maintained across the site.
• Promote a strong culture of quality, food safety and continuous improvement.

Product Management

• Ensure all products meet required food safety, quality and legal standards before leaving site.
• Create and maintain accurate internal specifications for all product lines.
• Support the Supplier Technical Manager with supplier specifications.
• Work collaboratively with Supply Chain and operational teams to ensure cost-effective processing without compromising customer or quality standards.
• Make balanced and considered decisions regarding product handling, with the end consumer, customers and business needs in mind.

BRCGS & HACCP

• Support the Technical team in maintaining compliance with BRCGS requirements.
• Act as a member of the site HACCP team.
• Contribute to HACCP reviews, risk assessments and ongoing food safety improvements.
• Support internal and third-party audit activity.

About You

We are looking for someone who can combine strong technical knowledge with confident people leadership. You will be comfortable making decisions, challenging standards and working collaboratively across different areas of the business.

You will ideally have:

• Experience implementing, embedding and maintaining technical standards within a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience working to a recognised third‑party standard such as BRCGS.
• Experience coordinating and implementing HACCP within a food manufacturing environment.
• Minimum Level 3 / Intermediate HACCP training; Level 4 / Advanced HACCP would be an advantage.
• Experience auditing products against internal and recognised third‑party standards.
• A strong understanding of food safety, quality, legality and traceability requirements.
• Previous experience managing or supervising a small team.

The Person

You will be:

• A confident leader who can motivate, support and develop a small team.
• A strong communicator who can build effective relationships at all levels.
• Collaborative, working effectively across Technical, Operations, Supply Chain and other departments.
• Credible and professional, able to gain the trust of colleagues and suppliers.
• Decisive and resilient, able to make considered decisions in challenging situations.
• Curious and improvement-focused, willing to question existing practices and identify better ways of working.
• Organised and analytical, with the ability to prioritise and make evidence-based recommendations.
• A role model who consistently demonstrates high standards and professionalism.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced QA/Technical professional to take ownership of a key quality function within a fast‑paced environment.

You will have the opportunity to lead and develop a team, influence site standards, work closely with senior technical and operational colleagues, and make a real impact on product quality, food safety and customer satisfaction.

If you are an experienced QA professional looking for your next challenge and have the technical knowledge, leadership skills and drive to make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.