Technical Manager

Henderson Brown Recruitment; Southampton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5% bonus

Job summary

Henderson Brown Recruitment partners with a forward-thinking food manufacturer in Southampton seeking an experienced Technical Manager to lead food safety, quality, legality, authenticity and compliance.

You will drive strategic technical initiatives, manage QA and processing teams, oversee audits and QMS, and deliver improvements across NPD, manufacturing, and supplier collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven Technical Management or Senior Quality leadership in a BRC-certified food site.
• Extensive HACCP, allergen management, traceability and UK Food Law knowledge.
• Experience leading audits and driving continuous improvement in food safety.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management with major retailers.

Responsibilities

• Lead Technical, QA, and Process teams to drive food safety and quality.
• Own and enhance the site's QMS and ensure compliance with standards.
• Chair HACCP, TACCP, VACCP and manage allergen, traceability, and hygiene systems.
• Lead audits and implement CAPAs with customers, retailers, and third parties.
• Provide technical reviews, product launches, and first production approvals.
• Support NPD, process optimisation, risk assessments, and continuous manufacturing improvements.
• Monitor Technical KPIs and drive data-driven improvements.

Skills

Food safety

Quality assurance

Leadership

Audits

Stakeholder management

Job description

We're partnering with an innovative food manufacturer looking for an experienced Technical Manager to lead the site's Food Safety, Quality, Legality, Authenticity, and Compliance agenda. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a forward-thinking business where you'll influence technical strategy, champion continuous improvement, and play a pivotal role in delivering exceptional products to some of the UK's leading retailers.

Technical Manager

Southampton

£55,000 - £60,000 D.O.E + 5% bonus

Permanent

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead the site's Technical, Quality Assurance, and Process teams, embedding a culture of food safety, quality excellence, and continuous improvement across the manufacturing operation
• Own and continuously enhance the site's Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring full compliance with BRCGS, UK Food Law, customer Codes of Practice, and retailer standards
• Chair and manage HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP programmes, overseeing allergen management, traceability, food defence, authenticity, hygiene, and foreign body prevention systems
• Lead customer, retailer, third-party, and certification audits, driving audit readiness and implementing robust corrective and preventative actions
• Act as the primary technical contact for customers, suppliers, and external stakeholders, leading technical reviews, product launches, complaint reduction initiatives, and first production approvals
• Provide technical leadership throughout the product lifecycle, supporting NPD, process optimisation, risk assessments, factory trials, and continuous manufacturing improvements
• Monitor and analyse Technical KPIs including customer complaints, audit performance, Right First Time, GMP compliance, supplier performance, and Cost of Quality, implementing data-driven improvement strategies
• Develop, coach, and inspire the Technical and QA teams while collaborating with Production, Engineering, Procurement, and Commercial functions to deliver operational excellence and protect product integrity

What We're Looking For:

• Proven Technical Management or Senior Quality leadership experience within a BRC-certified food manufacturing environment
• Extensive knowledge of HACCP, allergen management, traceability, UK Food Law, retailer standards, and Quality Management Systems
• Demonstrable experience leading customer, retailer, and third-party audits, with a strong track record of delivering continuous improvement and food safety excellence
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with experience working closely with major UK retailers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams
• Own transport and full UK working rights (no sponsorship or visas available)

If you're ready to take ownership of a site's technical strategy, influence business performance, and lead a high-performing technical function within a progressive food manufacturing business, we'd love to hear from you