Process Engineering & Technical Lead, Lichfield, Staffordshire

We have an exciting opportunity for a Process Engineering & Technical Lead to join our team at Florette in Lichfield, WS13 8NF. This role is to lead process optimisation, technical development, and operational integration across all packing/process operations and raw material supply integration activities to ensure safe, efficient, compliant and cost-effective production whilst supporting continuous improvement, product quality, throughput and sustainability objectives. This role will act as the technical bridge between raw material supply, processing operations, packaging system, and production requirements.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hour per week

Pay: Competitive salary circa £50,000 depending on Engineering/Technical experience

Main Responsibilities:

• Own and control all cooking and packing process parameters and product release activities by defining, validating and standardising cooking Beetroot & salad operations, while leading investigations into deviations, product holds and food safety risks to ensure consistent process control and compliance.
• Drive process consistency and performance improvement by reducing variability, establishing operating standards and control limits, leading trials and scale‑up validation, and optimising yield, efficiency and product consistency across all production processes.
• Own packaging process performance and reliability by resolving issues across filling, sealing, vacuum and film operations, collaborating with OEMs to improve equipment performance, and ensuring packaging solutions are aligned with process capability and operational requirements.
• Lead the integration of raw material and process capability by working with Procurement and growers to understand crop variability, translating raw material characteristics into processing standards, supporting specification setting at source, and driving trials that link field conditions to processing performance and finished product quality to improve yield, consistency and waste reduction across the supply chain.
• Act as the senior escalation and technical authority for process failures by diagnosing root causes across cooking, cooling and packing operations and leveraging process data and trends (including cook profiles) to drive corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Build capability and strengthen cross‑functional process control by coaching operators, QA and engineering teams on standards, reinforcing shared accountability across Technical, Operations and Engineering, and supporting audits to ensure robust food safety compliance.

Skills and Experience Required:

• Experience in food manufacturing, ideally including retort or thermal processing.
• Strong understanding of HACCP principles and CCP validation.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot, stabilise, and improve live factory processes.
• Hands‑on factory floor credibility with a practical, operational mindset.
• Strong problem solving capability supported by data‑led approach.
• Ability to work effectively cross‑functionally across Operations, Technical, Engineering, Supply Chain and growers.
• Calm, decisive approach when managing high risk or quality critical situations.

What You Will Get In Return:

• A Competitive salary circa £50,000 depending on Engineering/Technical experience, inclusion in our annual bonus scheme and a range of employee benefits you’d expect from a market leading business.
• Life Assurance: 3x your basic salary paid to your nominated beneficiary.
• Employee Assistance Programme and BUPA: Providing a Remote GP service along with a 24/7 helpline for financial, legal, medical and life issues, as well as access to BUPA Membership.
• Annual leave entitlement: 33 days annual leave per annum inclusive of UK Bank Holidays which increases with service, as well as the option to purchase up to 2 additional working weeks of holiday per annum.
• Learning and Development: Personalised induction and regular learning and development courses and schemes.
• Benefits Platforms: Employee discount platform for multiple retailers and access to salary finance schemes for bicycles, gyms, and financial assistance.
• Other: Recognition awards, Regular Employee Engagement days, attendance incentives, and an annual volunteering day.

About Us: Florette is one of three UK food manufacturing sites within Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd, which is an autonomous part of the larger 17,500 employee strong French co‑operative group, Agrial. The business operates mainly under its recognisable Florette salad brand and we are one of the UK’s leading producers in the industry. Under the well‑known Florette brand, our site processes and distributes pre‑packed, ready to eat, fresh salad bags and bowls to some of the UK's most well‑known supermarkets and retailers, as well as your favourite restaurants and fast food vendors. In total, we sell on average around 600,000kg of products every week - an unbeatable amount!

Agrial has operations across 11 countries, with 100 industrial sites, and a 2024 turnover of €7.1bn across 5 food divisions which comprise of Beverage, Dairy, Meat, Fresh Produce & Agricultural operations; it’s not just about lettuce! As well as 2 factories we also have a farming operation – Agrial Fresh Farms. All UK sites operate under the name of Agrial Fresh Produce Limited and fall under Agrial’s vegetable division. We have a recipe for success through our EPIC values and working together as one team.

VISA Sponsorship: This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship, either now or in the future. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd is an Equal Opportunities employer. In addition, as part of Responsible Recruitment, Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd believes in the Employer Pay Principle. No worker should pay for a job – the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer. We are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all of our staff. That’s why we’ve taken the Mental Health at Work Commitment and are currently delivering a programme of activities to ensure that everyone can have open and honest conversations about their wellbeing in the workplace and feel supported. We encourage applications from persons with experience of poor mental health and are committed to supporting our employees to fulfil their potential and perform at their best in work.