At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical, quality, and food safety functions in a high-volume meat manufacturing site.
- Company: Join a growing food manufacturing group with a focus on innovation and compliance.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, benefits package, and strong progression potential.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence site-wide improvements and mentor high-performing teams.
- Why this job: Shape technical strategy and drive standards in a senior leadership role.
- Qualifications: Experience in meat manufacturing and strong leadership skills required.
We are recruiting for an experienced Head of Technical to lead the full technical, food safety and compliance agenda for a high-volume meat manufacturing site. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for shaping technical strategy, driving standards, and ensuring the site consistently meets customer, retailer and regulatory requirements.
The successful candidate will be a confident technical leader with deep experience in red meat and/or poultry, strong retailer engagement skills, and a proven track record of delivering audit excellence in fast-paced FMCG environments.
Key Responsibilities- Lead the site Technical, Quality and Food Safety functions, ensuring full compliance with BRCGS, retailer COPs (Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, M&S), and all legal requirements.
- Own and develop the site Technical Strategy, driving continuous improvement and embedding a strong food safety culture.
- Lead and mentor the Technical, QA and Hygiene teams, building capability and high-performing behaviours.
- Oversee HACCP, VACCP/TACCP, allergen management, micro standards, and all technical risk assessments.
- Manage customer relationships, hosting audits and visits with major UK retailers and foodservice partners.
- Ensure robust systems are in place for traceability, specifications, labelling, CCP validation, and incident management.
- Drive improvements in GMP, hygiene, and factory standards across high-care and high-risk areas.
- Lead internal audit programmes and ensure the site is audit-ready at all times.
- Work closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD and Supply Chain to support safe, efficient and compliant production.
- Manage departmental budgets and technical KPIs, ensuring effective reporting and governance.
- Proven experience as a Head of Technical, Technical Manager, or senior technical leader within meat manufacturing.
- Strong knowledge of BRCGS, retailer COPs, HACCP Level 4, and food safety legislation.
- Experience in high-care / high-risk environments (red meat, poultry, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat).
- Excellent leadership skills with experience managing multi-disciplinary technical teams.
- Strong customer-facing capability with confidence hosting audits and presenting technical information.
- Ability to influence at all levels and drive site-wide improvements.
- A proactive, structured and commercially aware approach to technical management.
- Senior leadership role with full site ownership.
- Opportunity to shape technical strategy and drive standards.
- Strong progression potential within a growing food manufacturing group.
- Competitive salary + benefits package.
Site Head of Technical employer: Associ8 Solutions
Join a dynamic and innovative team as a Commercial Manager, where you'll have the opportunity to lead key retailer relationships with major UK brands like Ocado, Waitrose, Tesco, and Sainsbury's. Our supportive and collaborative work culture fosters professional growth, offering competitive salaries, bonuses, and exposure to strategic projects that drive category growth. If you're looking for a role that combines commercial acumen with meaningful impact in the food industry, this is the perfect place for you.
