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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead food safety and quality initiatives in a dynamic production environment.
- Company: Join Pilgrim's Europe, a leading European food business.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, development opportunities, and a fast-paced work environment.
- Other info: Opportunity to develop a skilled team and drive continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on food safety and quality standards.
- Qualifications: Experience in food manufacturing and strong knowledge of HACCP and BRC standards.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Department: Technical
Location: Ballymena
Direct Reports: QA Auditors
About the Role
We are seeking a motivated and experienced Food Safety & Quality Manager to lead food safety, quality and compliance activity within our production environment at Pilgrim's Europe, Ballymena. This is a key technical leadership role, responsible for ensuring products consistently meet customer, legal and company requirements, while driving strong performance against food safety and quality KPIs. You will lead quality systems, support new product development, manage audits and develop the QA team to deliver best-in-class food safety and quality standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, implement, maintain and continuously improve a HACCP-based Quality Management System, ensuring full due diligence and compliance.
- Coordinate and lead HACCP team activities.
- Ensure compliance with BRC, customer, third-party and legislative requirements.
- Support NPD and process development through specifications, artwork verification, shelf-life, reference samples and use-by schedules.
- Monitor cleaning, hygiene and housekeeping standards through factory audits, trend analysis and action planning.
- Manage corrective actions and control of non-conforming ingredients and finished product, including holds, rejects and returns.
- Oversee microbiological, shelf-life and chemical testing programmes, identifying trends and driving corrective and preventative actions.
- Manage customer complaints, investigations, serious incidents and follow-up actions.
- Develop, maintain and test the site Crisis Management System.
- Maintain site accreditations and implement additional standards required by customers or industry best practice.
- Produce daily, weekly and monthly quality KPI reporting for operations teams.
- Provide insight-led information to support problem-solving and continuous improvement.
- Liaise with customers and statutory bodies during audits and site visits, ensuring effective responses and close-out of actions.
- Lead, coach and develop QA Auditors in line with Pilgrim's Europe standards and expectations.
- Promote a culture of engagement, accountability and effective communication.
- Support training and development to build capability and resilience within the team.
- Manage performance, attendance and appraisals in line with company requirements.
- Lead by example in Health & Safety compliance and safe systems of work.
- Ensure COSHH assessments, risk assessments, training and incident investigations are completed and actioned.
- Maintain high standards of hygiene and housekeeping across all areas.
- Actively work to reduce environmental impact through waste, energy and carbon-reduction initiatives.
What We're Looking For
- Experience in a technical or quality leadership role within FMCG food manufacturing.
- Strong knowledge of HACCP, BRC standards, food legislation and food hygiene.
- Auditing experience with strong report-writing capability.
- Excellent communication, organisational and stakeholder-management skills.
- Proven people leadership and development experience.
- Third-level qualification in a relevant discipline.
- Advanced Diploma in Applied HACCP.
- Advanced Food Hygiene qualification.
- Project management or continuous improvement experience.
- Experience working directly with customers, auditors and regulatory bodies.
Values & Behaviours
Demonstrates ownership, integrity and determination, working collaboratively with discipline and humility to deliver practical results.
Why Join Pilgrim's Europe?
- Play a critical role in protecting food safety, quality and brand reputation.
- Work in a technically challenging, fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Lead and develop a skilled Quality team.
- Drive real, measurable improvements through continuous improvement.
- Competitive reward package and development opportunities within a leading European food business.
Interested? If you're passionate about food safety, quality excellence and leading teams to deliver consistently high standards, we would welcome your application. Apply now to join Pilgrim's Europe as Food Safety & Quality Manager and make a meaningful impact at our Ballymena site.
Food Safety & Quality Manager in Antrim employer: Pilgrims Europe
Contact Detail:
Pilgrims Europe Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Food Safety & Quality Manager in Antrim
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the food safety and quality sector on LinkedIn or at industry events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your HACCP and BRC knowledge. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled challenges in previous roles, as real-life examples will make you stand out.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Talk about how you've developed teams or improved processes in past jobs. Employers love to see candidates who can inspire and drive change.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference in food safety and quality.
We think you need these skills to ace Food Safety & Quality Manager in Antrim
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Food Safety & Quality Manager role. Highlight your experience with HACCP, BRC standards, and any relevant leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your skills match what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about food safety and quality. Share specific examples of how you've driven improvements in previous roles. We love seeing your personality come through!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on achievements rather than just responsibilities. Use metrics where possible to demonstrate your impact on food safety and quality KPIs. We appreciate 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 to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shows you're keen to join our team at Pilgrim's Europe!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pilgrims Europe
✨Know Your HACCP Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in HACCP principles and can discuss how you've implemented them in previous roles. Be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve improved food safety and quality standards using these methods.
✨Showcase Your Auditing Skills
Prepare to talk about your auditing experience, especially with BRC standards. Bring along any reports you've written and be ready to discuss how you handled non-conformities and corrective actions in past audits.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Experience
Think of examples where you’ve led a team or developed staff. Highlight your approach to coaching QA Auditors and how you foster a culture of accountability and engagement within your team.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical situations, like managing a customer complaint or a serious incident. Prepare structured responses that showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to maintain compliance under pressure.