Quality Manager

Ornua Co-operative Limited; Dublin; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ornua Co-operative Limited is seeking a Quality Manager to ensure all products supplied consistently meet food safety, quality, legal, customer, and company requirements.

You will work with external manufacturing partners, warehouses and internal teams to drive supplier quality management, CAPA, specification control and continuous improvement.

The role demands a proactive, data‑driven approach, strong analytical skills and experience in HACCP, BRCGS and ERP/QMS systems.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum 4 years in a quality, technical, or food safety role within the food, dairy, or beverage industry.
• Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, or third‑party operations.
• Knowledge of HACCP, food safety management systems, and quality assurance principles.
• Internal or Lead Auditor qualification.
• Experience with BRCGS standards.
• Strong IT skills, including ERP, QMS, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Dairy industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers, warehouses, and third‑party packing operations.
• Monitor and evaluate supplier quality performance, ensuring compliance with Ornua, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of customer complaints, quality incidents, and product non‑conformances.
• Apply structured root cause analysis methodologies to identify underlying issues and drive sustainable CAPA actions.
• Collaborate with suppliers and cross‑functional teams to ensure timely closure of investigations.

Skills

Quality management

Supplier quality

CAPA

Data analysis

Root cause analysis

Audit (Internal/Lead)

Regulatory compliance

BRCGS knowledge

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Education

Degree in Food Science

Food Technology degree

Lead Auditor qualification

Tools

M3 ERP

QMS software

Job description

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Ornua is a leading dairy co-operative which sells premium dairy products globally on behalf of its Member Co-operatives, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers.

Ornua has revenues of €3.4 billion and is supported by a global team of approximately 2,800 employees. The Group operates as a commercial organisation across 10 business units, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold. Consumer markets are served by production facilities in Ireland, Germany and the UK and by in-market Sales & Marketing Teams in Asia, Germany, Ireland, MEA, Poland, Spain, rest of Europe and North and Latin America.

It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility. These activities are supported by production facilities and in-market teams in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

WHY THIS ROLE IS VALUABLE:

The Quality Manager is responsible for ensuring all products supplied to Ornua Co-operative Limited consistently meet food safety, quality, legal, customer, and company requirements.

Working closely with external manufacturing partners, warehouses, third-party packers, and internal stakeholders, the Quality Manager plays a key role in supplier quality management, complaint resolution, specification management, and continuous improvement activities. The role requires a proactive, risk-based approach to quality management, strong analytical skills, and the ability to drive effective corrective and preventive actions across the supply network.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted quality partner, influencing stakeholders to deliver high standards of quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

External Supplier Quality Management

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with designated suppliers, warehouses, and third-party packing operations.
• Monitor and evaluate supplier quality performance, ensuring compliance with Ornua, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Support supplier audits, quality reviews, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Identify quality risks within the supply chain and drive effective mitigation strategies.
• Act as a key quality contact for external manufacturing partners, promoting a culture of quality and continuous improvement.

Complaints & Non-Conformance Management

• Lead the investigation and resolution of customer complaints, quality incidents, and product non-conformances.
• Apply structured root cause analysis methodologies to identify underlying issues and drive sustainable corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Collaborate with suppliers and cross-functional teams to ensure timely and effective closure of investigations.
• Analyse complaint and non-conformance trends to identify recurring issues and improvement opportunities.
• Conduct risk assessments where required to protect customers, consumers, and the Ornua brand.

Quality Systems & Data Management

• Maintain accurate quality data and records across Ornua's ERP (M3) and Quality Management Systems.
• Manage supplier and customer specifications to ensure accuracy, compliance, and version control.
• Support the ongoing development and effectiveness of the Quality Management System and BRC compliance programmes.
• Ensure quality-related data is reliable, traceable, and supports informed decision making.
• Drive improvements in data governance, reporting, and system effectiveness.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement across suppliers and internal teams.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve data quality, enhance customer service, and reduce quality risk.
• Participate in cross-functional projects focused on product quality, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.
• Use data and performance metrics to identify trends, prioritise actions, and measure improvement outcomes.

Product Quality & Technical Support

• Conduct product assessments, including sensory evaluation where required.
• Monitor stock quality and support actions to maximise product availability and minimise write-offs.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant food legislation, regulatory developments, and industry best practices.
• Provide technical support and quality expertise to internal stakeholders and projects.
• Support the wider Technical Team in delivering departmental objectives.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• Degree qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 4 years' experience in a quality, technical, or food safety role within the food, dairy, or beverage industry.
• Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, or third-party operations.
• Knowledge of HACCP, food safety management systems, and quality assurance principles.
• Experience investigating customer complaints, non-conformances, and CAPA activities.
• Strong IT skills, including ERP, QMS, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Dairy industry experience.
• Internal or Lead Auditor qualification.
• Experience with BRCGS standards.
• Knowledge of microbiology and food legislation.
• Experience working with ERP and quality management systems