Technical Manager in Kent

Permanent | Full-time

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced technical professional to join a growing fresh produce business during a period of positive change and development, taking ownership of food safety, quality, compliance, and customer standards across the operation.

Reporting into the senior leadership team, you'll play a pivotal role in maintaining and continually improving technical standards while helping to drive a culture where food safety, quality, and customer expectations sit at the heart of every decision. You'll lead and develop the technical function, working closely with operational, commercial, and customer-facing teams to ensure the business consistently delivers against customer, certification, and regulatory requirements.

Working cross-functionally throughout the business, you'll provide leadership across quality management systems, audits, compliance, customer relationships, and continuous improvement initiatives, helping to drive operational excellence and maintain the highest standards across the site.

What you'll be doing

As a Technical Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, developing, and coaching the Technical team to drive engagement, accountability, and high performance
• Creating a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and customer focus throughout the operation
• Managing and maintaining the site's Quality Management System, ensuring continued compliance with customer, legal, and certification requirements
• Providing leadership for food safety, quality standards, compliance performance, and customer satisfaction
• Acting as the primary technical contact for customers, building strong relationships and maintaining confidence in site standards and product quality
• Leading customer audits, third-party audits, and retailer visits
• Driving and maintaining BRCGS certification standards across the site
• Ensuring all HACCP, traceability, allergen management, pest control, hygiene, and wider food safety management systems remain effective and compliant
• Identifying, assessing, and mitigating technical and compliance risks across the business
• Managing customer complaints, technical incidents, and non-conformances, ensuring effective corrective and preventative actions are implemented
• Developing and monitoring technical KPI's, trends, and business performance measures
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives that enhance product quality, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and compliance performance
• Using data and performance insight to support decision-making and identify opportunities for improvement
• Building strong relationships with customers, auditors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders
• Staying up to date with industry legislation, retailer standards, and best practice requirements
• Championing the highest standards of food safety, health and safety, and quality throughout the business

What we're looking for

We're looking for a passionate and driven Technical Manager who can combine strong technical expertise with proven experience in the fresh produce sector. You'll be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, leading teams, driving continuous improvement, and influencing positive change across the business.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience in a Technical Manager position within a fresh produce environment, a strong understanding of food safety, quality, and customer standards, and excellent communication and leadership skills. A full UK driving licence is essential.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Previous experience within a Technical Manager or senior technical role within the fresh produce sector
• Strong knowledge of food safety legislation, retailer requirements, and industry best practice
• Proven experience managing BRCGS audits and maintaining certification standards
• Experience working with major retailer standards, particularly M&S requirements
• Excellent knowledge of HACCP, traceability, allergen management, hygiene, and risk management systems
• Experience leading customer audits, third-party audits, and certification audits
• Strong customer-facing experience with the ability to build and maintain long-term relationships
• A track record of driving continuous improvement and delivering technical excellence
• Strong leadership skills with experience coaching, developing, and motivating teams
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach with a passion for quality and compliance
• Experience working within a fast-paced fresh produce, food manufacturing, or packing environment
• What's in it for you?
• Pension scheme
• Free on-site parking
• The opportunity to join a business during an exciting period of change and development
• The chance to play a key role in shaping the future direction of the technical function
• A supportive and collaborative working environment

If you'd like to find out more, please contact Oskar at or apply today for a confidential conversation.