Technical Manager

Henderson Brown Recruitment; Moulton; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency in the food sector is seeking a Technical Manager for a pivotal role in Northamptonshire. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in food manufacturing, emphasizing quality assurance, food safety leadership, and team development. Responsibilities include leading the technical team, ensuring product quality, and implementing sustainability initiatives. The position offers a competitive salary and emphasizes a high-performance culture. Full UK working rights and own transport are mandatory.

Qualifications

• Experience within a leading technical and/or quality role in the UK food manufacturing industry.
• Experience with short shelf life / chilled products is an advantage.
• Must have own transport.
• Full UK working rights – no sponsorship available.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the technical team.
• Ensure products meet quality and cost standards.
• Set and deliver a clear food safety strategy.
• Champion health and safety compliance.
• Partner with commercial teams for technical services.
• Create and own a technical improvement plan.
• Build customer relationships and trust.
• Lead sustainability initiatives.

Skills

Food safety leadership

Team leadership

Quality assurance

Continuous improvement

Customer relationship management

Health and safety compliance

Sustainability initiatives

Job description

Technical Manager - Food manufacturing

Northamptonshire

Permanent | Mon-Fri

£65,000 - £75,000 + bonus

Are you a strategic Technical leader who thrives on building high-performing teams, safeguarding food safety, and delivering excellence for customers? This is a pivotal leadership role with real influence across the site and wider business.

What you'll be doing at the Technical Manager:

• People & Culture Champion - Lead, coach and develop a capable technical team, driving succession planning, capability building and people metrics while embedding company values and a high-performance culture.
• Operational & Quality Excellence - Own site technical performance, ensuring products are manufactured and distributed to exacting quality, specification and cost standards through robust QA systems and audits.
• Food Safety Leadership - Set and deliver a clear food safety strategy aligned to business goals, owning HACCP, SOP governance, pest management and a strong, visible food safety culture.
• Health & Safety Accountability - Act as a senior site leader for H&S, championing safe systems of work, risk assessment and compliance, with safety at the heart of every decision.
• Customer & Commercial Impact - Partner with Commercial teams to deliver industry-leading technical service, insight, hygiene standards and innovation, while managing departmental budgets effectively.
• Continuous Improvement Driver - Create and own a live technical improvement plan, identifying efficiencies, reducing cost, improving margin and moving systems towards best-in-class.
• Customer Relationship Builder - Be the trusted technical face of the business, strengthening relationships with key customers and technical stakeholders through service, expertise and credibility.
• Sustainability Advocate - Lead environmental and sustainability initiatives, embedding responsible practices and driving innovation to reduce impact across the operation.

What you'll need as the Technical Manager:

• Experience within a leading technical and/or quality role within the UK food manufacturing industry is required
• Experience with short shelf life / chilled products is advantageous
• Own transport
• Full UK working rights - no sponsorship or visas available