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- Tasks: Lead food safety and quality standards at our Belfast site, enhancing team behaviours.
- Company: Join Freshly Prepd, a growing business passionate about fresh, convenient meals.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, company pension, and free on-site parking.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a thriving environment focused on quality and continuous improvement.
- Qualifications: Experience in QA management or strong QA supervisor ready to progress; knowledge of food safety legislation required.
- Other info: Flexible hours available; be part of a proactive, people-focused team.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 35000 £ per year.
We're Hiring: Quality Assurance Manager
Location: Belfast | Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm (some flexibility required)
Are you a Quality Manager looking to take an exciting step into a growing business where you can influence and improve food safety processes, systems, and behaviours? At Freshly Prepd, we're looking for an experienced and driven Quality Assurance Manager to lead the QA function at our thriving Belfast food production site. In this pivotal role, you'll be responsible not only for systems and compliance, but also for enhancing behaviours and embedding best practices across the team to raise our quality culture to the next level.
Freshly Prepd is passionate about producing delicious, fresh, and convenient meals. Our business is expanding; we currently offer ready-to-heat meals and are planning to branch into ready-to-eat products.
Why Join Us?
We supply both direct-to-consumer through our e-commerce store and B2B through wholesale and independent van runs. With demand rising, we're investing in our team and our future; this is a great opportunity to get involved early and make a real impact.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Own the site's food safety, legality, and quality standards.
- Maintain and enhance the Quality Management System (QMS).
- Lead internal audits and prepare for third-party audits, including SALSA.
- Be accountable for the hygiene teams, ensuring cleanliness standards and compliance.
- Play a key role in developing behaviours and embedding best practices across teams to support a strong quality culture.
- Investigate and resolve customer complaints and internal non-conformances.
- Support product and process development with technical expertise.
- Manage traceability, allergen compliance, and raw material quality.
- Collaborate with production teams and suppliers to uphold standards.
- Train and coach staff on food safety and quality procedures.
What We're Looking For:
- Experience in a QA Manager role with experience in ready meal production or ready to eat facility (or a strong QA Supervisor ready to progress).
- In-depth knowledge of food safety legislation and GMP.
- Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and champion quality.
- Experience with internal and third-party audits (SALSA desirable).
- Strong communication and leadership skills.
- Food Safety Level 4 qualification preferred.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office tools.
- Passion for continuous improvement and people development.
Key Accountabilities:
- Compliance: Ensure all products meet food safety, legality, and quality standards.
- Systems & Auditing: Maintain and improve the QMS, lead internal audits, ensure external audit readiness.
- People & Culture: Lead hygiene teams, develop staff behaviours, and build a culture of quality and care.
- Problem-Solving: Handle non-conformances and customer complaints through structured root cause analysis.
- Training & Support: Deliver training on food safety, quality processes, and GMP.
Make Your Mark in a Growing Business
At Freshly Prepd, we take pride in what we do and who we do it with. If you're a proactive, people-focused quality leader ready to influence processes, behaviours, and standards - this is the role for you. Apply now or contact us to find out more - we'd love to hear from you.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From £30,000 - £35,000.00 per year
Benefits: Company pension, Free parking, On-site parking
Experience: Microsoft Office: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
Skills: Quality Assurance Management, Internal Auditing, Complaint Investigations, Quality auditing, Management, Quality Systems
Contact Detail:
IrishJobs Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Quality Assurance Manager (Food)
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific food safety legislation and quality management systems relevant to the ready meal production industry. This knowledge will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the food safety and quality assurance sectors. Attend industry events or join relevant online forums to connect with others who can provide insights or even referrals for the position at Freshly Prepd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience with internal and third-party audits, particularly SALSA. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully led audits and improved compliance in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your leadership skills by preparing examples of how you've influenced cross-functional teams in the past. Highlight any training or coaching initiatives you've led that contributed to a stronger quality culture.
We think you need these skills to ace Quality Assurance Manager (Food)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in quality assurance, particularly in food production. Emphasise your knowledge of food safety legislation and any leadership roles you've held.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for food safety and quality management. Mention specific examples of how you've influenced teams or improved processes in previous roles.
Highlight Relevant Qualifications: If you have a Food Safety Level 4 qualification or similar certifications, make them prominent in your application. This will demonstrate your commitment to the field and enhance your credibility.
Showcase Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, provide examples of how you've successfully handled customer complaints or non-conformances. Use structured approaches to problem-solving to illustrate your capabilities.
How to prepare for a job interview at IrishJobs
✨Know Your Food Safety Legislation
Make sure you brush up on the latest food safety legislation and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you're well-prepared and knowledgeable about the industry standards.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past. Highlight your ability to influence cross-functional teams and champion quality, as this role requires strong leadership to develop a culture of quality and care.
✨Showcase Problem-Solving Abilities
Be ready to discuss specific instances where you've handled non-conformances or customer complaints. Use structured root cause analysis to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and how you can apply them in this role.
✨Prepare for Audits
Familiarise yourself with internal and third-party audit processes, especially SALSA. Be prepared to talk about your experience with audits and how you ensure compliance and readiness, as this is a key responsibility of the position.
