Food, Safety and Quality Manager

A leading food manufacturing business in County Down is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Manager to join its Technical team. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of food safety, product quality and compliance within a growing manufacturing environment. The business places a strong emphasis on quality culture, continuous improvement and delivering products that consistently meet customer and retailer expectations. As Food Safety & Quality Manager, you will lead food safety and quality activities across the site, ensuring robust systems are in place to maintain the highest standards of product safety, legality and quality. Reporting to the Head of Technical, you will manage the QA team, maintain the food safety management system, lead HACCP reviews and champion a culture of quality throughout operations.You will take responsibility for environmental and product testing programmes, microbiological performance, retailer and third-party audits, non-conformance investigations and complaint management. The role will also involve overseeing traceability systems, supplier assurance activities and supporting NPD projects from a quality and food safety perspective. This is a highly visible leadership role requiring close collaboration with Operations, Supply Chain and Senior Management teams. Proven Food Safety and Quality Management experience within a food manufacturing environment, ideally fresh produce or prepared foods Robust understanding of microbiology, environmental monitoring, product testing and shelf-life validation Strong root cause analysis, problem-solving and corrective action management skills Experience managing QA teams and driving a positive food safety and quality culture Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence both production teams and senior stakeholders Secure, permanent employment within a growing food manufacturing business Opportunity to lead and shape the site's food safety and quality strategy Supportive working environment with ongoing training and development opportunities Free onsite parking, a staff discount scheme and a Cycle to Work programme The opportunity to work within a collaborative and diverse team where quality and innovation are highly valued Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk