Quality Systems Manager

Allied Bakeries | part of Associated British Foods plc; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Quality Systems Manager, where you will lead a dedicated team in ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality. This role offers a unique opportunity to work closely with a central technical team, implementing best practices and driving continuous improvement. You will play a key role in managing audits, developing initiatives to enhance operations, and building effective relationships with stakeholders. With a commitment to career development and a supportive work environment, this position is ideal for someone passionate about quality and safety in the food industry.

Benefits

Career Development

33 Days Annual Leave

Family-Friendly & Flexible Working

Retail Discounts

Cycle to Work Scheme

Electric Car Scheme

Private Health Care

Employee Assistance Programme

Up to 10% Employer Pension Contribution

Charitable Giving

Qualifications

• Proven experience in technical and hygiene roles with a strong track record.
• Ability to coach and train on food safety and legal compliance.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of quality auditors and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
• Lead and advise on statutory regulations and quality management systems.

Skills

Technical/Hygiene experience

Leadership skills

Problem-solving

Customer focus

Attention to detail

Education

Food science qualification

HNC/D or degree level equivalent

Tools

HACCP

Continuous Improvement techniques

Job description

Allied Bakeries are owned by Associated British Foods. ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn and 128,000 employees in 53 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia.. Our sister companies in ABF UK Grocery produce products under many market-leading household brands, including Jordans, Ryvita, Pataks, Blue Dragon & Silver Spoon.

We are proud of our brands: we make top 10 UK grocery brand Kingsmill as well as Allinson’s, Bürgen and Sunblest. You’ll know us best through our white, wholemeal and seeded market-leading loaves, as well as Kingsmill 50/50, the nation’s favourite Healthier White, and our delicious pancakes, crumpets, hot cross buns and other bakery products.

The success of our business depends on us having the right people on the team. We are incredibly passionate about our business, but it isn’t for the faint-hearted – it’s pacey and demanding so our people need to have a positive attitude and to want to work inclusively. We take massive pride in what we do, not least in how colleagues based in our bakeries and depots have one of the best safety performance records in the industry.

Our Grocery Service Centre, based near Liverpool, is a hub for transactional activity across multiple ABF companies within the ABF Grocery division. Supporting some of our well-known brands such as Kingsmill, Pataks, Blue Dragon, Jordans, Ryvita and Silver Spoon, amongst others. We deliver Shared Service activities across a wide range of disciplines including Customer Services, Consumer Care, Finance, Payroll, HR and IS.

If you’re looking to join a business that is passionate, encourages you to be the best you can be, and values its people, we’d love to hear from you.

Overview Of Role

Location: Newcastle-under-Lyme Place of Work: Allied Bakeries Stoke

Salary: Circa £40,000 per year, with flexibility for the right candidate

Hours: 37.5 hours across Monday-Friday, office hours

Are you an experienced technical professional looking for your next challenge? We’re hiring a Quality Systems Manager for our bakery site in Stoke to manage a team of quality auditors, provide advice to the site teams on all statutory regulations and company standards relating to food safety, quality and environmental hygiene to maximise the quality of our products.

Your Role

You’ll work closely with the central technical team to implement and share best practice at site; advising on all matters of food safety and legality in consultation with the Technical Manager. Ensure that quality management systems, operating practices and process controls are developed, implemented and followed to ensure adherence to company site standards, consistent quality performance and hygiene standards.

Lead and advise the site teams on statutory regulations and company standards relating to food safety, quality and environmental hygiene including leading the site's HACCP and Internal auditing processes.

Develop initiatives which enhance the manufacturing operation through reduced costs and improved quality particularly in areas such as process monitoring & control.

Support the Technical Manager with all NPD and EPD introduction into site, delivering compliance to product specifications.

Ensure local management of food safety incidents, being accountable for the escalation of the need to withdraw products and where necessary consulting with Technical Operations.

Play a key role in the management of audits and implementation of any corrective actions.

Building effective relationships with all key stakeholders to ensure a high level of impact and influence.

Lead, motivate and develop the Quality auditors, ensuring all team KPI’s, 1:1's and Health and Safety standards are met.

What You Bring

Proven Technical/Hygiene experience with a clear track record of achievement. A Food science qualification, HNC/D or degree level equivalent.

Self driven, enthusiastic, with effective leadership and team building qualities.

Natural problem solver with the ability to organise self and others to deliver pragmatic solutions and results.

Ability to build effective relationships with all key stakeholders with a strong customer focus.

Attention to detail and a thorough approach; even when operating under pressure.

Ability to coach and train food safety and legal compliance topics.

Advantageous But Not Essential

• Understanding of baking process and weight control systems.
• Level 3 HACCP.
• IOSH Managing Safely
• An understanding of Continuous Improvement techniques.
  
  

Why Join Us?

Allied Bakeries is proud to offer a range of benefits that make this a truly rewarding place to work:

Career Development: Ongoing leadership training, mentoring and cross-functional exposure. 33 Days Annual Leave: To recharge and unwind.

Family-Friendly & Flexible Working: We support work-life balance.

Retail Discounts: Save at Tesco, M&S, Currys and more.

Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme: Sustainable travel options.

Private Health Care Employee Assistance Programme

Up to 10% Employer Pension Contribution

️ Charitable Giving: Payroll donations to Save the Children