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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead global transformation in Quality & Food Safety across multiple regions.
- Company: Join a dynamic organisation focused on proactive quality culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus, car allowance, and relocation support.
- Other info: Opportunity for international travel and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact by shaping food safety standards globally.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in Quality & Food Safety required.
We are seeking a Vice President of Quality & Food Safety to lead a critical global transformation agenda. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for building and embedding a world-class, centralised Quality & Food Safety function across a complex, multi-regional organisation. With strong executive sponsorship and significant recent investment in foundational food safety, the business is now focused on shifting from reactive compliance to a proactive, embedded quality culture.
The Opportunity
This is not a steady-state leadership role. You will:
- Build and scale a global quality framework
- Align regional quality operations under a consistent standard
- Act as the organisation’s senior authority on quality and food safety
- Influence executive leadership to prioritise and invest in quality
You will lead a globally distributed ecosystem of approximately 400 quality professionals, including 6 regional quality leads in a matrix structure.
Key Responsibilities
Global Quality & Food Safety Leadership
- Define and implement the global Quality & Food Safety strategy
- Establish consistent standards, policies, and governance across all regions
- Ensure alignment between central and regional teams
Culture Transformation
- Drive the shift toward a proactive quality culture
- Embed quality and food safety into day-to-day business operations
- Champion accountability and continuous improvement across the organisation
Technical Oversight
- Provide expert guidance across the food safety and quality risk landscape
- Ensure robust systems, processes, and controls are in place
- Act as a credible authority with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams
Stakeholder Management & Influence
- Partner with senior stakeholders including:
- Regional Managing Directors
- Supply Chain leadership
- R&D and Operations
- Confidently challenge and influence at executive level
- Navigate complex, and at times controversial, decision-making environments
Commercial Leadership
- Translate quality and food safety priorities into clear business value
- Build compelling cases for investment in quality initiatives
- Secure resources by articulating risk, return, and impact
Organisation & Capability Building
- Build and develop a high-performing global quality organisation
- Strengthen capability across regions
- Create clear structures, roles, and accountability
Candidate Profile
Experience
- Senior leadership experience in Quality & Food Safety within: Food manufacturing, FMCG, or adjacent sectors (e.g. personal care)
- Proven track record in: Global or multi-regional roles, OR Leading quality within a region of a large multinational and ready to step into a global role
- Experience operating in complex, matrixed organisations
Technical Expertise
- Strong understanding of: Food safety systems and standards, Quality management frameworks, Regulatory environments
- Ability to engage deeply on technical topics while operating at strategic level
Leadership & Behavioural Capabilities
- Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Ability to operate effectively at executive and board level
- Strong commercial acumen
- Experience securing investment and resources
- Leadership style: Credible, calm, and measured
- Able to challenge constructively
- Balances firmness with cultural sensitivity
- Builds trust quickly across diverse teams
What We Are Looking For
- A builder, not a maintainer
- A leader who can:
- Drive change
- Align diverse stakeholders
- Embed sustainable systems and behaviours
What We Are Not Looking For
- Pure technical specialists without leadership depth
- Individuals lacking stakeholder influence at senior level
- Leadership styles that are either:
- Too passive to drive change, or Overly aggressive and culturally misaligned
Qualifications
- Degree (or equivalent) in: Food Science, Engineering, or a related discipline
- Advanced qualifications in quality or food safety are advantageous
Location & Mobility
- UK preferred (relocation supported)
- Open to Europe-based candidates willing to travel
- International travel required
Compensation
- Competitive executive package including:
- Circa £220,000 base salary
- Bonus
- Car allowance
- Benefits
- Relocation support
VP Quality and Food Safety in City of London employer: develop
Contact Detail:
develop Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land VP Quality and Food Safety in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts and attend relevant events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that VP role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s quality culture and recent initiatives. We want to see you confidently discuss how you can drive their transformation agenda and embed a proactive quality mindset.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership style! Be ready to share examples of how you've influenced stakeholders and built high-performing teams. We love hearing about your successes in navigating complex environments.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. We’re excited to see how you can contribute to our global quality framework!
We think you need these skills to ace VP Quality and Food Safety in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in Quality & Food Safety. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission of building a proactive quality culture.
Showcase Leadership Experience: This role is all about leadership, so don’t hold back! Share specific examples of how you've led teams or initiatives in complex environments. We love seeing candidates who can drive change and influence at the executive level.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate candidates who can communicate effectively, especially when it comes to technical topics.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to track your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at develop
✨Know Your Quality Frameworks
Before the interview, brush up on global quality frameworks and food safety standards. Be ready to discuss how you would build and scale these frameworks in a multi-regional organisation. This shows you’re not just familiar with the concepts but can also apply them strategically.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style, especially in driving change and aligning diverse stakeholders. Think about times when you successfully influenced executive leadership or navigated complex decision-making environments. This will demonstrate your capability to lead a high-performing global quality organisation.
✨Emphasise Stakeholder Management Skills
Be ready to discuss your experience in managing and influencing senior stakeholders. Prepare specific instances where you’ve built trust quickly across diverse teams or secured investment for quality initiatives. This is crucial for a role that requires strong commercial acumen and stakeholder engagement.
✨Articulate Business Value of Quality
Practice articulating how quality and food safety priorities translate into clear business value. Think about how you would build compelling cases for investment in quality initiatives. This will show that you understand the commercial implications of quality management and can secure resources effectively.