Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead food quality and safety across operations and third-party manufacturers.
- Company: Join FBC UK, the home of iconic biscuit brands like Maryland and Jammie Dodger.
- Benefits: Hybrid work, inclusive culture, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in food safety while working with top UK retailers.
- Qualifications: Food or science degree, HACCP Level 4, and proven leadership experience.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values authenticity and innovation.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Location: St. Paul’s, GB
Place of Work: Hybrid
Company Description
We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! We bake the UK's most incredible biscuits. FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company. We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Paul’s. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.
About The Role
We are looking for an experienced Central Technical Director to lead Food Quality and Safety across our central functions, including operations and third-party manufacturers. You will head the central FSQ function, ensuring compliance with regulatory, customer and industry standards while driving continuous improvement. Working closely with R&D, Operations and Supply Chain, you will ensure the consistent delivery of safe, high-quality products aligned to customer frameworks and business strategy. You will also lead Product Incident Management where required and play a key role as a member of the Technical Leadership Team.
Main Responsibilities
- Customer Interface: Lead and maintain strong technical relationships with existing and new customers, acting as the senior technical representative on quality, food safety and sustainability matters. Oversee delivery of customer quality plans, technical activities and portal requirements for strategic accounts. Provide clear direction to internal teams on customer technical expectations and strategy. Ensure effective management of artwork changes, corrective actions and continuous improvement in response to customer and audit feedback.
- Performance Management: Oversee the development of technical scorecards and evaluate performance review outputs, providing guidance and challenge where required. Ensure impactful customer requests are assessed in alignment with FBC strategies. Oversee the Product Quality Assessment framework, providing feedback to Operations and defining clear success measures for improvement.
- Product Development: Oversee teams responsible for evaluating technical aspects of new product launches, finished product specifications and artwork origination/changes, escalating unmitigated risks where necessary. Lead delivery of technical support for retailer brand project work.
- Food Law: Ensure effective evaluation of global and local food law requirements using best-in-class sources, including trade associations, law firms, consultancies and online services. Oversee the internal legislation hub, ensuring the business is prepared for regulatory change through clear communication and action planning.
- Food Regulation: Support the definition of regulatory strategy for product development aligned with business requirements. Lead the provision of regulatory intelligence and the development of business-wide response plans.
- Compliance: Lead the product labelling compliance team, ensuring legislative checks, claims validation and guidance to operational teams. Oversee validation of local legislation on claims (health, nutrition, ingredients) and conditions of use, including risk assessments covering legal and reputational considerations. Lead teams contributing to cross-functional working groups to improve workflows, best practices and ways of working.
- Project Management: Own the intake and prioritisation of new FSQ system and standards projects. Ensure appropriate stakeholder engagement and effective project kick-off. Monitor project execution and progress to ensure delivery against objectives.
- FSQ Governance: Define and implement FSQ governance aligned to key milestones within the FBC UK calendar. Facilitate the definition of the FSQ budget and SAF. Coordinate internal FSQ stakeholders to ensure effective governance and alignment.
- Internationalisation & Ferrero Ecosystem: Act as FSQ lead for the introduction of Ferrero Ecosystem products into FBC UK distribution and sales, ensuring all legal and food safety requirements are met. Ensure ongoing quality assessment of Ecosystem products and implementation of corrective actions where required. Lead FSQ activity for FBC brands entering international markets, ensuring ongoing quality assessments are maintained.
Qualifications
- Food or Science-related degree
- HACCP Level 4 qualification
- Food Safety Level 4 qualification
- FSSC 22000 certification
- Qualified Lead Auditor
Experience
- Proven leadership experience within a multi-site FMCG food organisation
- Demonstrated ability to operate at senior leadership level in complex food manufacturing or FMCG environments
- Strong background in retailer private label, managing high-risk, high-profile customer requirements
- Significant senior-level experience working with major UK retailers, including M&S and Tesco
Diversity Statement
FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.
Central Technical Director employer: Paterson Arran
Contact Detail:
Paterson Arran Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Central Technical Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to folks at FBC UK. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching FBC UK’s values and products. Show us you’re passionate about biscuits and how your skills align with our mission. Bring your A-game and be ready to discuss how you can contribute to our success!
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in our minds. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the Central Technical Director position.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the latest job openings and updates directly from us. Let’s get you on board!
We think you need these skills to ace Central Technical Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Authentic: When you're writing your application, let your true self shine through! We want to see your personality and passion for the role. Don’t just list your qualifications; tell us why you’re excited about joining FBC UK and how you can contribute to our biscuit-making magic.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application for the Central Technical Director role. Highlight your relevant experience in food safety and quality, and connect it to our values and goals. Show us that you understand what we do and how you can help us improve!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t be shy about bragging a little! Share specific examples of your past successes, especially those related to food quality and safety. Use metrics or outcomes to illustrate your impact – we love numbers that tell a story!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Paterson Arran
✨Know Your Biscuits
Before the interview, get familiar with FBC UK's brands and products. Understand what makes their biscuits unique and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their commitment to quality and innovation.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Central Technical Director, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in previous roles, particularly in food safety and quality management, to show you can drive continuous improvement.
✨Understand Regulatory Standards
Brush up on food safety regulations and standards relevant to the UK market. Be prepared to discuss how you've navigated compliance issues in the past and how you would ensure FBC UK meets all necessary requirements.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
FBC UK values teamwork across departments. Think of instances where you've collaborated with R&D, Operations, or Supply Chain to achieve a common goal. Highlighting your ability to work cross-functionally will resonate well with the interviewers.
