Job Purpose: Lead the Quality department to develop and maintain Quality and Food Safety systems meeting regulatory, legislative, customer, and third-party standards. Ensure technical requirements for customer service are fulfilled, providing expertise in food safety and legal requirements. Offer leadership, support, and training for quality improvement projects. Reports to:Technical Services Manager Key Responsibilities: Communication and People Management: Lead, motivate, and develop a team of professional technologists. Coordinate with departments and senior management, influencing decisions to meet food safety and quality needs. Keep the company informed of legislative and customer constraints, ensuring adherence to quality and food safety standards. Department Management: Integrate Group KPI targets into the plant system, ensuring they are measured, monitored, and achieved. Communicate customer requirements to the Operations team, ensuring compliance. Collaborate with the Innovation team for new product launches and process improvement projects. Manage the annual budget for the department. Review and analyse technical information, taking actions to meet criteria and improve processes, plants, and systems. Champion staff training in food safety and quality areas, including induction, hygiene, HACCP, allergen awareness, and taste panel training. Lead the implementation of plant-wide Process & Quality System Improvements, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach. Identify and implement opportunities for quality improvement in manufacturing and business processes. QMS & HACCP Systems: Lead the site HACCP team, maintaining and reviewing food safety systems. Lead the site TACCP team, ensuring system integrity from a vulnerability and food defence perspective. Ensure compliance with customer and best practice requirements, maintaining and reviewing documentation and systems. Implement the internal audit program to ensure Quality System Compliance. Manage external audits for food safety and quality with customers and governing bodies (e.g., BRC, DAFM, M&S, Tesco, Waitrose, Brake Bros, Yum Brands). Customer Management and Service: Maintain detailed specifications and quality standards for finished products, requiring knowledge of customer software (Micros, Hamilton Grant, FIND). Develop and maintain internal specifications for the factory. Manage customer queries and complaints promptly, involving relevant teams. Represent the companys technical expertise to customers for service or issue investigations. Contribute to business development by forging new relationships and building on existing ones. Supplier Management: Maintain the supplier management process with detailed specifications, risk assessments, audit, and approval records for all suppliers. Review and evaluate suppliers regularly, providing feedback on performance and quality. Conduct supplier audits as necessary. Manage the approval of new suppliers. Keep the buying team informed of supplier performance and quality. Tester Programs: Ensure evaluation, validation, and verification of raw materials, processes, and finished products. Lead the implementation of microbiological, chemical, and physical testing schedules. Address non-conformances through root cause analysis and continuous improvement. Manage quarantined products, ensuring product traceability and safety. Oversee shelf-life analysis for ambient, chilled, and frozen products. Qualifications/Skills/Experience: Diploma or higher in Food Science or related field. 5+ years in a similar role in FMCG or food retail environment. Knowledge of BRC standards; familiarity with cooking processes and high care facilities preferred. Experience in people management and technical management advantageous. Lead auditor certification and HACCP certification required. Proficient in written, numerical, and verbal communication. Ability to record, interpret, and analyze process data. Fluent in English. Self-starter with strategic view and implementation capability. Strong team management and leadership skills. Effective communication and presentation skills with customers, stakeholders, suppliers, and senior management. In-depth understanding of food safety and quality management systems. Knowledge of food legislation, BRC Global Food Standard, and customer standards. Good interpersonal skills, adaptable, and able to work under pressure. Proficiency in MS Office tools. Ability to work cross-functionally, meet deadlines, and build effective relationships. Ability to identify and plan improvements actively. For additional information and a confidential discussion on this and similar opportunities contact: Diarmuid on or All applications will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and your CV will never be released without your prior approval.