Technical Relations Manager

Pilgrims Europe; Northern Ireland; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food industry company in Northern Ireland is seeking a Technical Relations Manager to act as a key technical liaison with customers. You will lead technical activities, ensuring compliance with standards and driving customer satisfaction. Candidates should have at least 3 years of experience in a customer-facing technical role within FMCG along with strong interpersonal skills. This role offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment with a focus on quality and innovation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a customer-facing technical role within FMCG.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-motivated, resilient, and tenacious under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead all technical activities for assigned customer(s) across all product categories.
• Develop and implement the technical strategy aligned with customer expectations.
• Ensure compliance with customer COPs and legal standards.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

Role Overview

As Technical Relations Manager, you will act as the key technical liaison between Pilgrim's Europe and our valued customer(s). You will work in close partnership with stakeholders across customer teams, central functions, and operational sites to ensure that all technical requirements are met and exceeded. This role is pivotal in driving product safety, quality, and customer satisfaction while supporting commercial and innovation strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all technical activities for assigned customer(s) across all product categories.
• Develop and implement the technical strategy aligned with customer expectations.
• Ensure compliance with customer COPs and legal standards.
• Monitor and report on technical KPIs and customer complaints, identifying trends and driving improvements.
• Manage serious complaints, enforcement actions, and incident investigations.
• Ensure sites are audit-ready and support successful customer audits and onboarding of new sites.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customer technical teams and internal stakeholders.
• Support NPD and process trials to ensure successful, right-first-time product launches.
• Identify and deliver mutual cost-saving initiatives.
• Stay informed on relevant legislation and collaborate with customers on industry lobbying efforts.
• Support business transformation projects, including product relocations.
• Represent the technical function in customer visits, reviews, and cross-functional meetings.
• Contribute to the Technical Excellence Programme and Quality/Technical Pillar Book initiatives.

Essential Criteria

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a customer-facing technical role within FMCG.
• Degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Highly analytical with excellent project management and presentation abilities.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to set direction and drive results.
• Self-motivated, resilient, and tenacious under pressure.
• Proven track record of meeting customer KPIs and SLAs.
• Broad technical knowledge across food manufacturing operations.
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders and priorities.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in the Meat, Fish, Poultry (MFP) sector.
• Background in cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.

The company

Pilgrim's Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland, including Fridge Raiders, Rollover, Denny, Richmond, Oakhouse and Moy Park, alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork, lamb and chicken, working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.

Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals, snacking ranges, added value and food service products.

Across Pilgrim's Europe we combine 20,000 of the best people in the industry, united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality, most delicious and innovative food, which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK, Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrim's Europe team are based in our Pilgrim's UK, Moy Park, Pilgrim's Food Masters and Pilgrim's Shared Services businesses.

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