Site Quality & Compliance Lead (Food)

Morgan McKinley; Cork; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley partners with a premier food manufacturing group to appoint a driven senior leader who will take full ownership of the Food Safety and Quality platform at a high-volume, multi-retailer BRC-rated facility.

As a core member of the Site Senior Leadership Team, you will shape site strategy, safeguard compliance, and drive operational excellence across a busy, large-scale production environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in a senior Technical, Quality, or Food Safety leadership role within a fast-paced retail food manufacturing environment (meat, dairy, seafood, or chilled/protein sectors preferred).
• Retail & Audit Pedigree: Extensive hands-on experience managing BRCGS standards (ideally AA/AA+ grade), HACCP, and complex UK/Irish major retailer codes of practice.
• People Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading, coaching, and developing multi-tiered technical teams, with a focus on staff engagement and building future leaders.
• Gravitas & Resilience: A confident, decisive communicator who thrives in a busy manufacturing setting, capable of influencing peers on the SLT and holding firm on quality standards under commercial pressure.
• Qualifications: Third-level qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline. Lead Auditor (BRC/GFSI/ISO 22000) or Continuous Improvement (Lean/Six Sigma) certifications are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Site FS&Q Ownership & Compliance: Maintain full oversight of the site's Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (QMS), ensuring continuous audit readiness and adherence to BRC AA+, HACCP, GMP and statutory regulations.
• Team Leadership & Talent Pipeline: Directly manage a team of four direct reports alongside wider dotted-line departmental staff. Mentor, train, and empower your team to improve retention, build long-term capability, and establish a strong succession pipeline.
• Site SLT & Cross-Functional Influence: Operate as a key voice on the Site SLT, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD, and Health & Safety to embed a proactive food safety culture, sign off on new product specifications, and lead business continuity and risk mitigation plans.
• Customer & External Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary point of contact for major Irish and UK retail customers, third-party auditors, suppliers, and regulatory bodies-protecting customer trust and upholding best-in-class supplier standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Champion root-cause analysis and modern technical solutions that elevate quality performance, reduce operational risk, and drive site efficiencies.

Skills

Food safety leadership

Quality management

People leadership

Stakeholder management

BRCGS knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Technology

Job description

We are partnering with a premier food manufacturing group to appoint a driven, resilient senior leader to take full ownership of the Food Safety and Quality platform at a high-volume, multi-retailer BRC rated manufacturing facility.

Sitting as a core member of the Site Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will play a pivotal role in shaping site strategy, safeguarding compliance, and driving operational excellence across a busy, large-scale production environment.

We are looking for an assertive, commercially astute leader who can hold their own on the factory floor and in the boardroom, while fostering a supportive, high-performing culture that retains and develops technical talent.

Key Responsibilities

• Site FS&Q Ownership & Compliance: Maintain full oversight of the site's Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (QMS), ensuring continuous audit readiness and adherence to BRC AA+, HACCP, GMP and statutory regulations.

• Team Leadership & Talent Pipeline: Directly manage a team of four direct reports alongside wider dotted-line departmental staff. Mentor, train, and empower your team to improve retention, build long-term capability, and establish a strong succession pipeline.

• Site SLT & Cross-Functional Influence: Operate as a key voice on the Site SLT, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD, and Health & Safety to embed a proactive food safety culture, sign off on new product specifications, and lead business continuity and risk mitigation plans.

• Customer & External Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary point of contact for major Irish and UK retail customers, third-party auditors, suppliers, and regulatory bodies-protecting customer trust and upholding best-in-class supplier standards.

• Continuous Improvement: Champion root-cause analysis and modern technical solutions that elevate quality performance, reduce operational risk, and drive site efficiencies.

What You Will Bring

• Experience: Proven track record in a senior Technical, Quality, or Food Safety leadership role within a fast-paced retail food manufacturing environment (meat, dairy, seafood, or chilled/protein sectors preferred).

• Retail & Audit Pedigree: Extensive hands-on experience managing BRCGS standards (ideally AA/AA+ grade), HACCP, and complex UK/Irish major retailer codes of practice.

• People Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading, coaching, and developing multi-tiered technical teams, with a focus on staff engagement and building future leaders.

• Gravitas & Resilience: A confident, decisive communicator who thrives in a busy manufacturing setting, capable of influencing peers on the SLT and holding firm on quality standards under commercial pressure.

• Qualifications: Third-level qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline. Lead Auditor (BRC/GFSI/ISO 22000) or Continuous Improvement (Lean/Six Sigma) certifications are advantageous.