Technical Account Manager

Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working environment

Job summary

Driscoll’s seeks a Technical Account Manager to manage technical and quality relationships with UK retail customers. You will ensure berries meet retailer specifications, legal requirements and high quality standards, acting as the technical link between retailers, growers, packhouses and internal teams.

You will lead audits, reviews and visits, interpret customer policies, monitor quality data and coordinate corrective actions, while supporting product development and sustainability initiatives.

Qualifications

• Degree in food science, agriculture or horticulture, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience in technical/quality roles within fresh produce (2–5 years).
• Experience with soft fruit/berries is a strong advantage.
• Knowledge of HACCP, BRCGS and GLOBALG.A.P standards.

Responsibilities

• Serve as main technical contact for UK retail customers.
• Align quality, compliance and innovation with retailer technical teams.
• Lead audits, visits and seasonal reviews with retailers.
• Interpret policies and implement across the supply chain.
• Monitor quality data, identify trends and drive CAPAs.
• Manage complaints, rejections and non-conformances with investigations.
• Ensure compliance with legal, retailer, and certification requirements.
• Support new product and varietal development per customer needs.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Technical liaison

Quality assurance

Auditing support

Education

Food Science / Agriculture / Horticulture degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Retailer portals

Technical specification systems

Job description

About the Opportunity

Are you passionate about fresh produce, product quality and building strong relationships with leading UK retailers? Do you enjoy working at the intersection of technical expertise, commercial priorities and customer satisfaction? As our Technical Account Manager, you will manage the technical and quality relationship with key retail customers in the United Kingdom. You will ensure that our berries consistently meet retailer specifications, legal requirements and our own high-quality standards. You will act as the technical link between our retail customers, growers, packhouses and internal teams. Your focus will be on delivering excellent product quality, maintaining food safety and compliance, resolving technical challenges and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

In this varied and customer-focused position, you will:

• Act as the main technical point of contact for assigned UK retail customers.
• Build strong relationships with retailer technical teams and create alignment around quality, compliance and innovation.
• Lead the technical preparation and follow-up of retailer audits, customer visits and seasonal reviews.
• Interpret customer technical policies and help implement these requirements throughout the supply chain.
• Monitor product quality and performance data, identify trends and coordinate corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage product complaints, rejections and non-conformances, ensuring thorough investigations and timely resolutions.
• Work closely with UK and international growers to ensure compliance with legal, retailer and certification requirements.
• Visit growers, suppliers and packhouses to review quality, food safety and compliance practices.
• Provide technical support and guidance to growers, including preparation for customer and retailer audits.
• Support new product development and varietal development based on customer needs and consumer trends.
• Contribute to sustainability initiatives relating to packaging, pesticide reduction and carbon footprint.
• Maintain accurate specifications, certificates, audit documentation and other technical records.
• Prepare and present technical reports, performance updates and improvement plans.

Candidate Profile

You communicate clearly and confidently with customers, growers and colleagues. You are comfortable addressing technical challenges, coordinating different stakeholders and translating complex requirements into practical actions. You enjoy taking ownership, working independently and creating solutions that improve quality and customer satisfaction. At the same time, you understand that the best results come from close collaboration across Commercial, Technical, Agronomy and Operations teams.

What you bring

• A degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Horticulture or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant industry experience.
• Approximately 2 to 5 years of experience in a technical or quality assurance role within fresh produce.
• Experience working with soft fruit or berries would be a strong advantage.
• Proven experience managing technical relationships with UK retailers.
• Good knowledge of fresh produce quality, post-harvest handling and shelf-life challenges.
• Knowledge of food safety, compliance and audit standards such as HACCP, BRCGS and GLOBAL G.A.P.
• Familiarity with UK retailer technical standards and systems, such as Tesco TFMS, M&S Select Farm or Morrisons OPs.
• Strong aroactive approach.
• The ability to balance product quality, customer service and commercial priorities.
• Confidence using Excel, PowerPoint, retailer portals and technical specification systems.
• A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel throughout the United Kingdom, with occasional international travel.

What we offer

A varied and highly visible technical position within an international fresh produce business. You will work closely with major UK retailers, growers and experienced colleagues across different functions and countries. The role offers a hybrid working environment, combining home and head office working Driscoll’s is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world. Driscoll’s exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm-to-table, we focus on delivering a high quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners. Driscoll’s is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries.