Technical Manager (Beverages Specialist)

Zest Recruitment; England; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent recruitment agency is looking for a Senior Technical Manager to ensure the safety and quality of beverage products. This hands-on role involves working closely with suppliers and co-manufacturers, conducting audits, and supporting new product development. Ideal candidates should have strong technical knowledge in the beverage sector and excellent problem-solving skills. This position offers an exciting opportunity to impact a growing beverage category.

Qualifications

• Strong technical knowledge of aseptic manufacturing.
• Experience in supplier audits and risk assessments.
• Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Act as the lead technical contact for beverage products.
• Carry out supplier audits and ensure corrective actions.
• Provide technical input into new product development.

Skills

Proven experience in the beverages/drinks sector

Strong technical knowledge of thermal processing

Excellent communication and influencing skills

Auditing expertise

Education

Background in food science or related discipline

Job description

Overview

Are you ready to step up from a Technologist role and take on more responsibility in a senior technical position? This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate food and drink professional to join a fast-paced, innovative business and play a key role in ensuring the safety, quality, and compliance of our ready-to-drink (RTD) products.

The Role

As the Technical Manager, you will be the technical point of contact for our beverages portfolio, ensuring products meet the highest standards of safety, legality, and quality. You\'ll work closely with co-manufacturers and suppliers, using your knowledge of beverage processing to maintain standards, solve issues quickly, and support new product development.

This is a hands-on, individual contributor role - perfect for someone looking to take the next step in their career and build on their technical expertise.

Responsibilities

• Act as the lead technical contact for beverage products, driving safety, quality, and compliance.
• Support and influence suppliers to continuously improve performance against KPIs.
• Apply strong knowledge of thermal processing and aseptic manufacturing to challenge and support co-manufacturers.
• Carry out supplier audits, product risk assessments, and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Provide technical input into NPD projects, identifying potential risks early in development.
• Attend factory trials and first productions to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver wider business objectives.

What you need

• Proven experience in the beverages/drinks sector (essential).
• Strong technical knowledge of thermal processing and aseptic manufacturing.
• A background in food science, food technology, or a related discipline.
• Auditing and risk assessment expertise.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build strong supplier relationships.
• A proactive problem solver, able to adapt quickly and prioritise in a fast-moving environment.

Why this role?

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who wants to step up into a more senior role, take ownership, and make a real impact on the quality, food safety and innovation of a growing beverage category.

As you know over here at Zest we like to do things properly and always want to keep you, the candidate in the loop. By applying to this \'one of a kind\' role you give Zest permission to hold your information. If you want to know more about how Zest looks after your personal information please visit our privacy policy on the website http://www.zestfoodjobs.co.uk/privacy-policy/