Technical & Operational Excellence Manager

Müller UK & Ireland; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dairy manufacturer in the UK is seeking a Technical & Operational Excellence Manager to enhance food safety and product quality. You will lead investigations, coach teams, and ensure compliance with food safety standards, while driving continuous improvement initiatives across sites. This role offers competitive salary and a supportive culture focused on innovation and career growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary and bonus scheme

Company car or car allowance

Generous holiday entitlement

Pension scheme with contributions

Private healthcare options

Professional development opportunities

Modern working environments

Qualifications

• Senior technical or quality role experience in FMCG.
• Knowledge of food safety standards (BRCGS, HACCP, ISO 22000).
• Lean Six Sigma skills preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead investigations into repeat non-conformances.
• Manage non-conformance Matrix and trend analysis.
• Ensure effective validation and verification programmes.
• Drive CAPA and verify long-term success.
• Coach site technical teams in RCA capability.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Supply Chain.

Skills

Food safety standards knowledge

Advanced problem-solving

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field

Job description

Role Overview

This is a high-impact, cross-functional role focused on eliminating repeat food safety and quality issues. You’ll lead root cause investigations, coach site teams, and embed a culture of technical excellence and proactive problem‑solving. Acting as a central technical expert, you’ll influence standards, drive compliance, and support continuous improvement across the business.

Are you passionate about driving quality, safety, and continuous improvement across manufacturing operations?

Responsibilities

• Lead structured investigations into repeat non‑conformances using tools like 5 Whys, Fishbone, and DMAIC.
• Develop and manage a network‑wide non‑conformance Matrix and trend analysis.
• Ensure robust validation and verification programmes are in place and effective.
• Drive corrective and preventative actions (CAPA) and verify their long‑term success.
• Coach and challenge site technical teams to build RCA capability and audit readiness.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, NPD, and Supply Chain to embed technical excellence.
• Report performance against KPIs and elevate strategic risks to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Dairy Science, or a related field.
• Experience in a senior technical or quality role within FMCG (preferably dairy or chilled food).
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards (BRCGS, HACCP, ISO 22000).
• Advanced problem‑solving and continuous improvement skills (Lean Six Sigma preferred).
• Excellent communicator and influencer, able to lead without direct authority.
• Highly analytical, resilient, and collaborative.

About the Role

Join Muller as a Technical & Operational Excellence Manager and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of food safety and product quality across our network of sites.

Company Overview

Muller UK & Ireland is wholly owned by Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, which employs over 31,000 people across Europe. In the UK, Muller develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of branded and private‑label dairy products made with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain. Muller is ranked within the top 20 in The Grocer’s Top 100 list of Britain’s biggest brands and is picked from shelves millions of times each year. Müller Milk & Ingredients aims to be Britain’s private‑label dairy leader and produces branded and private‑label fresh milk, cream, butter and ingredient products. Müller Yogurt & Desserts is the UK’s leading yoghurt manufacturer and creates countless moments for consumers, supplying iconic brands such as Müller Corner, Müllerlight, Müller Bliss, Müller Rice, FRijj and Müller Kefir Smoothie, and also supplies the UK private‑label yoghurt market from a state‑of‑the‑art facility.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme.
• Company car or car allowance.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Pension scheme with company contributions.
• Private healthcare options.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Safe, modern working environments with state‑of‑the‑art equipment.
• Supportive culture focused on growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Long‑term career opportunities with a market‑leading brand.