Hygiene Specialist

Life tastes better with ice cream. With 19,000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto, and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry. We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world.

What truly sets us apart is how we work. We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high-performance, collaborative, and focused on getting things done. We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.

Job Purpose: The factory hygiene Specialist is responsible for leading the site hygiene programme and to support the manufacturing operation in all aspects of cleaning and hygiene management. They are responsible to ensure all hygienic critical control points are managed pro-actively using HACCP methodology and that hygienic best practices and standards are implemented and maintained. The role holder is a key member within the Quality Team, reporting to Technical Lead. They will bring technical knowledge, tenacity, and a professional approach to ensure that high standards of hygiene are maintained and problems are overcome. This is predominantly a day-based role but with the flexibility and drive to support the factory as and when business needs require.

KPIs: Cleaning & Disinfection Programme, Hygiene & Housekeeping Programme, Allergen Management, Pest Control, Environmental Monitoring

Responsibilities:

• Report to Technical Lead
• First point of contact, internally and externally, for anything relating to hygiene
• Implement, maintain and verify comprehensive cleaning schedules for production equipment and the manufacturing environment.
• Maintain a product and mix allergen matrix and put in place rules for segregation and cleaning.
• Provide expert input and guidance into management of allergen or lifestyle related product claims e.g. dairy free, vegan including maintaining cleaning schedules and determining validation procedures.
• Provide expert input into HACCP teams.
• Provide support and expert input to project teams for new products and processes.
• Deliver an ongoing training programme to support effective cleaning and to educate staff about other food safety matters.
• Lead cleaning and disinfection validation studies, providing technical expertise and conducting hygienic assessments.
• Implement and/or maintain monitoring programmes for process and environmental microbiological hygiene indicators.
• Drive the investigation of hygiene non-conformances and the necessary corrective actions.
• Lead improvement activity to increase the effectiveness of cleaning operations and hygiene standards across the site.
• Manage the service contracts for third party hygiene service providers e.g. pest control, chemical suppliers and cleaning providers.
• Drive pest control programme for site by maintaining awareness driving completion of corrective actions.
• Manage the system for toxicological approval of food contact surfaces.
• Ability to deputise for the site Technical Lead and cover other roles within the Quality Team.
• Represent the site on European working groups concerning hygiene or other food safety matters.
• Maintain FSSC 22000 certification taking ownership for hygiene aspects of the standard.
• Safe management of hygiene related site contractors, issuing permits as required.
• Line management of any direct reports or technicians reporting into the hygiene manager.
• Identify and drive cost saving opportunities associated with cleaning, chemicals or hygiene in the site.

Scope of Role: This role will be local but with responsibility on occasions to represent the SU at European/Global forums or other external meetings.

Problem Solving: Bringing technical expertise and aptitude for applying WCM techniques to understand quality issues and to implement improvements.

Change: Implementing changes to deliver compliance to standards or to drive improved quality performance.

All About You:

Professional Qualifications: Educated to degree level, the job holder will have a strong technical background and understanding of food safety management requirements. Preferably university degree in technical discipline or general sciences. Working knowledge of FSSC or BRC.

Experience Required: Proven experience working within food manufacturing, with a quality or hygiene background. Previous experience working and deputising within a quality department. Qualification, training or proven experience in hygienic design and processes. Relevant experience in Quality Assurance/Laboratory and food safety management.

A real leader and a dynamic individual who is prepared to take responsibility for departmental and site issues leading to resolutions. Self-starter able to drive initiatives and solve problems when they arise without initial direction from their line manager. Good communication skills – Verbal and written. Decisiveness – does not jump to conclusions and seeks a variety of solutions, analyses for best fit. Able and willing to make decisions. Initiative – Actively influencing events rather than passively accepting. Seizes opportunities when they arise and acts on them. Leadership – the ability to motivate and manage people to achieve group objectives. Able to successfully influence peers working within other SU functions to achieve results. Constructively critiques performance and seeks improvement. Time & project management skills. FMCG Manufacturing experience.

Other Requirements: Competence in standard Microsoft applications. Competence in SAP applications would be an advantage. Driving licence holder would be an advantage. Some weekend / out of hours working. Occasional travel (UK and Europe).

Please apply via this portal as e-mail applications may not be processed and include your Future Fit Plan if possible. By applying for this vacancy, you are confirming that you have made your Line Manager aware of your application and that you are at a point in your career with TMICC where it is appropriate for you to be applying for other positions.

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact Assistant HRBP.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

We take pleasure seriously. Join the Ice Cream team now!

Why join us? This is a place for people who are passionate about ice cream and are growth obsessed - both for the business and for themselves. People who act like an owner and drive our business end-to-end. People who are driven by success to deliver more than we ever thought we could! You’ll thrive here if you value an inclusive culture, with low ego and hierarchy - and if you’re excited to continuously learn and challenge how we work, using digital, data, and new thinking to push us forward.

Ready to build the future of Ice Cream? If this sounds like the place where you'd thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Apply online and share your CV. We'll review your application and be in touch with the next steps.