Head of Technical

Moulton Bulb Company is a specialist fresh produce business supplying onions, garlic, and shallots to several UK Supermarkets. We turn over £90 million, employ 340 people, and have been doing this for three generations. Our focus is deliberately narrow; one category, done better than anyone else.

We are looking for a Head of Technical to lead our technical and quality function at a genuinely interesting moment for the business. We have active retailer relationships that demand technical rigour, an ESG programme with real deadlines, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Cranfield University focused on Fusarium disease management and soil health, and a large UK grower base and international suppliers that we are raising to a higher standard. The role is broad, the expectations are high, and the right person will have the scope to shape something significant.

You will be an accomplished, credible leader; someone who can make difficult decisions, build trusted relationships with retail customers, and drive a technical function that is seen across the business as an enabler, not a gatekeeper. As we build our ESG programme and deepen our commitment to sustainable supply chains, this role will also be the lead for our grower sustainability programme.

You will inherit a highly capable team and a technical function that has achieved AA* BRCGS certification with zero non-conformances for three consecutive years; a standard that sets the baseline for what we expect to maintain and build on.

The position:

• Lead the technical and quality function, creating a future vision and technical strategy aligned to current and future business priorities.
• Own the food safety and quality management system, HACCP programme, and internal audit schedule, maintaining BRC certification and all customer standards.
• Be a trusted advisor across the business on food safety, quality, and technical matters.
• Develop and maintain direct relationships with the technical teams at our key retail customers, managing audits, specifications, and sustainability requirements.
• Work with the commercial function to support tenders, new business proposals, and product development.
• Ensure training and development standards across the technical and quality teams deliver the competency and performance the business needs.
• Support key retailers with sustainability and R&D priorities, including supply chain carbon data, climate resilience, and environmental compliance data capture.
• Lead the operational delivery of our grower sustainability programme, including our carbon measurement pilot, IPM assessment across contracted growers, and the revised grower technical pack incorporating ESG data fields.
• Coordinate supply chain ethical compliance in conjunction with our Head of HR, including SMETA audit management for import suppliers and seasonal labour standards.
• Act as the internal expert partner for our Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Cranfield University, currently focused on Fusarium disease management, soil health, and supply chain traceability.
• Work with senior management, commercial, and procurement to develop a market-leading R&D programme, covering sustainable agronomy, new technologies, and innovations that align with customer objectives and deliver business growth.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and use resources more efficiently.

The perfect candidate should have:

• Significant experience in a senior technical role in food manufacturing or fresh produce; Site Technical Manager or Head of Technical level, with multi-retailer exposure essential.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent in an Agricultural, Plant Science, or Food Science related discipline.
• Working knowledge of agricultural sustainability frameworks, carbon measurement tools, or grower ESG programmes and an understanding of where retailer sustainability requirements are heading.
• A proactive, dynamic, change-oriented leader with the interpersonal skills to persuade and influence across departments and at executive level.
• Technically and commercially astute, with the ability to identify and act on business opportunities.
• Highly developed understanding of risk and decision-making, able to provide fact-based guidance under pressure.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing technical team.
• Strong communication skills; concise, credible, and effective at all levels.
• Level 3 HACCP and Food Safety qualifications as a minimum; Level 4 preferred.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office, customer specification systems, and other software platforms.
• Occasional international travel required.

Why join us:

This is a senior leadership role with genuine scope. You will inherit a highly capable team and step into a business that is making long-term bets, on sustainability, on research, on technology, without the short-term pressure of external shareholders. The ESG programme is real and resourced, not a marketing exercise. The Cranfield KTP is a rare credential for a business of our size, and the technical challenge of supplying several major retailers in a specialist, seasonally complex category is one that will keep a good technical leader genuinely engaged.

In addition to a competitive compensation and benefits package we offer:

• Competitive company pension scheme.
• On-site staff canteen.
• Free, convenient on-site parking.
• Compassionate paid bereavement leave.
• Company sick pay.
• Premium overtime x your hourly rate.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme & DoctorLine access.
• Long service rewards and recognition.
• Christmas gift voucher as a thank you from us.
• Supportive family-run business that values its people.
• Savings and cashback offers through the exclusive Moulton Bulb discount platform "Shallot More".
• Free access to a comprehensive wellbeing hub.
• Committed to providing training and development opportunities.

If you are looking for a role where the technical function sits at the heart of the business and is expected to contribute to its future, this is it.