Job Summary:
The jobholder is responsible for managing the QA team, factory technical processes, and activities to ensure the site continually manufactures safe and legal products in accordance with all policies and procedures. This includes managing corrective actions, concessions, and product quality through close collaboration with the factory team. The role involves working with the wider technical team to ensure legislative requirements, customer codes of practice, and third-party audit standards are understood and integrated into daily factory processes. This is a hands-on, factory-floor based role.
Key Responsibilities:
Tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Managing the QA team of 4 direct reports, coaching, training, and ensuring processes are followed as per procedures.
- Auditing GMP, hygiene, fabrication, and QMS according to schedule; communicating and closing nonconformances.
- Controlling non-conforming products, including hold, reject communication, and disposal notes.
- Managing calibration schedules.
- Organizing laboratory and retained samples; ensuring testing complies with schedules and standards.
- Overseeing factory readiness for audits and compliance with Gluten-Free and Vegan standards to produce safe products. Ensuring HACCP, QMS, and integrity requirements are integrated into daily processes.
- Authorizing vegan and gluten-free production releases and collating samples for testing.
- Preparing for external audits, including customer, regulatory, and third-party audits; presenting relevant documentation.
- Owning and maintaining metal detectors, checkweighers, scales, and temperature probes.
- Coordinating pest control contracts; communicating and closing non-conformances; documenting actions.
- Closing non-conformance actions from audits, ensuring root causes are identified and fixes are sustainable.
- Managing the date coding system and training operational staff accordingly.
- Ensuring all factory paperwork is current, properly filed, and traceable.
- Managing the daily taste panel.
- Participating in factory improvements, including machinery inclusion in risk assessments and registers.
- Conducting weekly or monthly meetings on complaints, micro, and KPIs with QA and factory teams.
- Being a hands-on, presence-in-factory role working with QA, operational, and engineering staff.
- Managing goods-in checks, raw material releases, shelf-life extensions, and stock returns.
- Communicating laboratory and overtime budgets.
Key Skills:
- BSc in Food Science or related discipline.
- Significant experience in food manufacturing.
- Level 3 HACCP certification.
- Knowledge of BRC and Retailer Codes of Practice.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other computer applications.
- People management skills.
- Audit experience.
- Motivated, flexible, able to work independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent organizational and prioritization skills.
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
- Ability to motivate and organize teams effectively.
- Flexible approach and systems-driven mindset.
- Desire and ability to be present on the factory floor; this is not a desk-only role.
Our Referral Incentive:
Due to high application volumes, we may not respond to every application. If you do not hear from us, you have not been shortlisted. Please check our website for other opportunities.
We offer a GBP 500 referral bonus for successful placements through your referral. Details are on our website.
Note: We cannot sponsor work permits or transfer existing permits. Candidates must prove their eligibility to work in the UK.