QA Manager

To lead and manage the site Quality Assurance function, ensuring continuous audit readiness and full compliance with food safety, legal, customer, and quality standards. The role is responsible for maintaining and improving QA systems, production processes, and operational controls to consistently achieve the highest levels of product quality and food safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure Food Hygiene Standards are consistently maintained across the site.
• Manage annual audit planning and audit reporting, including investigation of non-conformances and implementation of effective corrective and preventative actions in collaboration with Production and senior management.
• Conduct daily spot checks on stock rotation, with particular focus on short shelf-life products such as poultry.
• Complete the monthly audit schedule, including: Brittles Audit, Document Check Audit, Full GMP Audit.
• Carry out weekly internal audits and other scheduled compliance checks, escalating any issues or concerns promptly to management.
• Conduct traceability and mass balance exercises in line with the QMS, escalating discrepancies where required.
• Ensure full compliance for accredited products including Soil Association and Red Tractor certified meats.
• Maintain accurate product information using the approved nutritional platform, ensuring allergen, nutritional, and labelling data is fully up to date.
• Manage supplier risk assessments for existing and new suppliers/products, including: Product specification reviews, Certification and allergen documentation checks, Escalation of non-responsive suppliers to Purchasing.
• Investigate customer and supplier complaints thoroughly and coordinate responses with the Sales Team.
• Complete weekly laboratory testing in line with the approved schedule.
• Lead and coordinate all customer and third-party audits & ensure all audit non-conformances are closed within agreed timescales.
• Maintain strong operational understanding of production processes (including Picking and Goods-In) to support investigation of batch and traceability queries.
• Lead the annual review of the QMS and HACCP systems, ensuring process updates and improvements are captured and implemented.
• Maintain QA records in line with retention policies, ensuring documentation is securely stored for a minimum of three years and appropriately archived/disposed of.
• Conduct monthly audits of beef labelling activities, including control and verification of veal deliveries.
• Ensure the NPD process is followed from concept through to launch.
• Conduct monthly audits of labels within the scale system, removing obsolete labels and verifying accuracy of current versions.
• Review QA processes against customer COPs, completing gap analysis to remove unnecessary checks and ensure all controls remain relevant and effective.
• Conduct monthly audits of transport department documentation and records.
• Work proactively with accuracy and attention to detail when completing QA documentation, spreadsheets, audits, and reporting.
• Support coaching, training, and development of colleagues as directed by management.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by the line manager.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, GMP, and quality management systems.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Strong problem-solving and investigative ability.
• Effective communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks independently.
• Strong audit management and compliance reporting capability.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and QA systems.

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in a QA or Food Safety role within food manufacturing.
• HACCP Level 2 or above (preferred).
• Food Safety Level 2 or above (preferred).
• Experience leading audits and managing supplier compliance (advantageous).

Benefits

• Salary up to £40,000 (DOE).
• 28 days holiday including Bank Holidays, increasing with service.
• Company pension scheme.
• Free onsite parking.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• 20% staff discount on products.
• Company social events.
• Free food available in break rooms.
• Contribution towards Christmas.

We are an equal opportunities agency and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are acting on behalf of the client as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.