Technical Manager in Wolverhampton

About McCain. At McCain, we're feeding the world: from French fries to Smiles, we contribute to the important role food plays in people's lives. That's why we're dedicated to ensuring our core values - Family, Authentic, Trusted, and Quality - shine through every day. As a privately owned family company with over 60 years of experience, a presence in more than 160 countries, and a global team of 22,000 people, our values and culture are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that we can work together, along with our business and community partners, to bring sustainable growth and positive change today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain!

About the role. We are looking for a Site Technical lead, who will safeguard our standards, drive continuous improvement and ensure every decision reflects our commitment to customers. At Wombourne, you will be the voice of food safety and quality and the leader who makes sure it is built into every product we make. Are you a thought leader in food safety and quality? Do you thrive on driving cultural change and achieving excellence?

• Reporting into the Director, FSQ and partnering closely with the Plant Manager and their Senior Leadership Team.
• Business Partner to the Plant Manager and provide technical expertise and advice acting as first point of contact.
• Ownership of the internal audit process.
• Site host for customer audits.
• Ensure sensory requirements are understood and communicated to sensory team, working closely with Research & Development and Sensory Manager.
• Working closely with other site Technical Managers and the regional FSQ team to deliver a seamless customer experience.
• Identify and support internal technical training needs.
• Co-ordinate the activity for the transfer of knowledge and collaborate with NPD and internal teams and stakeholders for product specification, sensory requirements, new allergens and potential risks at site level.
• Attend line trials and be responsible for approval and sign off from a food safety perspective.
• Continuously assessing food safety risks and resolving issues, whilst maintaining consistency across sites working with the regional team.
• Own and chair the HACCP team and play a key role in driving improvement in standards.
• Identify ongoing measures required to validate product claims.

This is a great opportunity for someone to springboard their career with development opportunities in the UK and globally.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. We're on the hunt for a dynamic leader with a proven track record in driving change management and cultural evolution. If you can turn business strategies into practical solutions, we want to hear from you!

What you'll bring to the team:

• Stellar influencing skills at all levels, both internally and externally.
• The ability to work independently and as a collaborative team player.
• Deep technical expertise in Quality & Food Safety.
• Knowledge of manufacturing plants and operation.
• A comprehensive understanding of food law and external standards (BRC, AIB).
• Mastery of Quality & Technical systems and HACCP/TACCP/VACCP principles.
• Experience in potato processing or similar technology.
• Strong collaborative and business partnering abilities.
• A continuous improvement mindset with a passion for innovation.
• Exceptional coaching, influencing, and leadership skills.
• Persistence, resilience, and flexibility.
• Strategic thinking focused on achieving customer goals.
• A willingness to challenge existing practices and drive systemic improvements in Quality & Food Safety.

We understand that no one is perfect, and you might not tick every box on this list. However, we believe in nurturing growth within the role. So, if you think you have what it takes, even if you don't meet every single requirement, we still want to hear from you. You could be exactly who we need! Apply today!

WHERE WILL I WORK? You'll be based at our Wombourne plant in Staffordshire. And together our small, but perfectly formed team of over 110 colleagues produce our famous (and well loved) potato Smiles as well as our pre-baked Jacket Spuds.

The benefits of working for McCain. Although we do encourage you to taste the goods you'll be pleased to know we don't pay you in 'chips'. For working hard, you'll also get a great salary and some pretty good benefits including:

• An excellent pension where we will pay double what you do, up to a maximum of 12% of your pay.
• Car allowance.
• Flexible holidays - where you can buy & sell up to 5 days holiday per year.
• Private Healthcare.
• Optional health cash plan.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• 'Chips In' Volunteering Day Off - to make a positive impact to the competitiveness, resilience, and long-term development of McCain communities across the globe.
• Great opportunities to shine/thrive should you wish to relocate in the future.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.