Technical Manager

The Sterling Choice; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is recruiting a Technical Manager for our Middlesbrough site in the food manufacturing sector. You will lead the Technical team, uphold food safety, quality and retailer standards, and drive continuous improvements across the factory’s operations.

The role requires hands-on leadership, strong HACCP and BRCGS experience, and close collaboration with Operations to deliver lasting performance gains and robust customer relationships.

Qualifications

• Proven Technical or Quality management experience within food manufacturing, ideally chilled foods.
• Strong BRCGS knowledge and experience working directly with major UK retailers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the factory-facing Technical team and manage day-to-day Technical performance.
• Ensure food safety, quality and customer standards are maintained.
• Be visible, involved and prepared to challenge to drive improvements that last.
• Root cause issues with Operations to implement lasting fixes.
• Lead retailer visits/audits and develop joint quality improvement plans.

Skills

People leadership

Quality management

Food safety

BRCGS knowledge

Auditing

Root cause analysis

Education

Level 3 HACCP

Food Safety qualifications

Job description

Technical Manager
Middlesbrough, Teesside
Food Manufacturing
£65,000 - £75,000 + Bonus

There's a difference between having responsibility for Technical standards and having the influence to improve them.

This role needs someone who can do both.

You'll be joining an established food manufacturing business, taking responsibility for the day-to-day Technical performance of a busy factory supplying major UK retailers.

Reporting to the Head of Technical, you'll lead the factory-facing Technical team, making sure food safety, quality and customer standards are maintained while continually looking for ways to make things better.

But this isn't a role where you'll spend your time reviewing reports and telling people what needs fixing.

You'll need to be visible, involved and prepared to challenge.

Whether it's a recurring customer complaint, a factory non-conformance or an opportunity to improve process controls, you'll be expected to get to the root of the issue and work with Operations to make improvements that last.

You'll also have significant customer exposure, leading retailer visits and audits, developing joint quality improvement plans and building relationships that give customers confidence in the site's Technical performance.

And then there's the people side.

You'll be responsible for developing your Technical team, setting clear expectations and giving people the support and accountability they need to perform. You'll also work closely with the wider site leadership team, ensuring Technical has a genuine voice in operational decisions.

You'll need proven Technical or Quality management experience within food manufacturing, ideally chilled foods, alongside strong BRCGS knowledge and experience working directly with major UK retailers.

Experience leading audits, managing factory Technical teams and improving site performance will be important, as will Level 3 HACCP and Food Safety qualifications.

Ultimately, they're looking for someone who can do more than maintain standards. Someone who can lead people, influence decisions and make a measurable difference to how the factory performs.