Lead Quality Manager

Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to major supermarkets and well-known restaurants. We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory to customer delivery, offering careers across a range of functions. We operate major processing sites across England and Wales, and manage an agricultural network of over 350 farms, from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

Our advanced manufacturing site in Wednesbury, West Midlands, is our newest facility, with around £4.7 million invested in state-of-the-art equipment. It is a flagship Added Value centre for Avara, employing over 150 talented individuals who supply some of the UK’s largest supermarkets and restaurants.

About the role: Are you passionate about Product Safety and Quality? Looking for a new challenge? Do you have experience or qualifications in Quality Management? As a forward-thinking business, we pride ourselves on Quality across Avara Foods and seek a highly competent and motivated Lead Quality Manager to join our Quality team at Wednesbury. The role is mainly office-based, within a fast-paced, dynamic FMCG environment that is noisy and refrigerated in some areas, manufacturing short shelf-life products where hygiene is critical. The working hours are Monday to Friday, 08:00-17:00.

What will you do as a Lead Quality Manager?

• You will manage the site Technical function to ensure legal compliance, food safety, and customer specifications adherence.
• Key responsibilities include:

• Recruit, induct, train, and manage Quality Managers effectively.
• Develop team skills aligned with business needs.
• Maintain internal audit schedules and complete audits; communicate corrective actions; ensure non-conformances are addressed within agreed timeframes.
• Provide technical monitoring and auditing support to Operations to meet customer requirements.
• Review non-conformance data to develop long-term corrective actions.
• Review product, packaging, and ingredient specifications to ensure currency and compliance.
• Investigate customer complaints of a technical nature, ensuring findings and actions are communicated internally and externally.
• Support relationships with internal and external customers, including during site visits.
• Coordinate with NPD and production to ensure effective introduction of new or modified products, processes, and packaging.

Requirements for success:

• Food-related HND, Level 4 Food Safety, and HACCP qualifications.
• Experience with BRCGS or ISO 9000 standards.
• Leadership skills and team motivation experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills at all levels.
• Knowledge of major retailers' requirements.

Benefits of working at Avara Foods:

• As a Lead Quality Manager, you will enjoy a secure, supportive, and progressive environment where your contributions are recognized and rewarded.
• We provide comprehensive training and ongoing development to support your long-term career.
• Our benefits include:

• Up to £45,000 per year, DOE.
• Secure contract with career growth opportunities.
• 6% pension contribution.
• Staff discounts on products.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme.
• Access to our Employee Benefit Scheme, including remote GP appointments, mental health support, physiotherapy, medical second opinions, and discounts on various services and products.