Factory Technical & Quality Lead – Food Safety

The jobholder has site accountability for the site Quality Assurance Department to lead, support, guide and work with the site operations team around the production, product, process, perimeter and premises for all aspects within the manufacturing facility.

This role is accountable for driving the technical agenda within the operations function and within the technical performance and all factory facing requirements. This role drives the overall site delivery and quality teams to ensure quality, legal, food safety, brand integrity and culture is driven and compliant. This role supports the Senior Technical Manager with core deputy accountabilities.

• Leadership of the HACCP plans within the factory: process, product and procedures for all fundamentals, review and update accordingly. Ensure compliance to the CCP and pre-requisite programme.
• Proactively manages the food safety, culture and integrity to build a right first-time operation with strong communication, engagement and action plans.
• Ensures the QA team are maintaining, reviewing, auditing and continuously improve the site quality management systems aligning with customer requirements and industry best practices and BRC standards.
• Accountability for the raw materials, packaging and finished product to be assessed, processed and released through risk assessments appropriate to the requirements for claims, risk, and customer/supplier verification.
• Establish systems and behaviours for auditing, analysis and record review for compliance monitoring.
• Control block stock, through review, investigation, ultimate decision making of release/rejections and revised practices to ensure compliance with custom specifications and food safety and quality requirements.
• Establish process controls and practices aligned with NPD to launch and on-going analysis for built in quality, consistency, and meeting customer requirements of raw material through to finished product monitoring.
• Identify, champion and drive continuous improvement in quality standards within the technical and quality department and across site, developing short-, medium- and long-term strategies, leading focussed improvement teams in GMP and product quality.
• Establish all site monitoring and verification schedules for product, equipment and process monitoring for hygiene, microbiological, chemical, allergenic and customer requirements, implement trending, reviews and continuous improvement activity to drive the site performance.
• Leadership of the site pest management activities to ensure the premises, practices and behaviours are effective, trended and reviewed, along with accountability of the contract provider of pest control.
• Support the technical manager in delivery of the site, technical and quality improvement strategy.
• Ensure procedures and practices are in place to drive compliance for the management of brand integrity, control of operations and product handling to protect claims, allergen status and customer requirements through the factory to product release.
• Lead, investigate and drive continuous improvement by root cause analysis, across product quality, process issues, non-conformity and audit findings, making sure corrective and preventative actions are implemented to a successful review.
• Lead by example, direct and develop the quality department to create a high performing teams with clear training, succession and development plans.
• Ensure the QA team are active members of the internal audit programme including Hygiene, Procedural, GMP, internal and 3rd party audits.
• Leadership of business 3rd party, customer and internal audits ensuring systems are in place to drive lean principles in achieving compliance with an audit ready mindset within the quality and operations function.
• Liaise effectively with legislative authorities and accreditation bodies for audits and compliance to food hygiene and quality standards.
• Deputy support and direct management of the site and stock in crisis management and non-conforming status.
• Accountable that a cost effective and efficient service is provided by the QA Department within the factory and within the wider technical function.
• Lead all factory focused customer complaint investigations via root cause and action plans are completed and communicated internally and externally to reduce complaint levels.
• Ensures systems are in place to control all equipment calibration and verification requirements to monitor the effectiveness of portable laboratory monitoring devices and suitable appropriate resources are in place.
• Out of hours escalation leadership and support for quality and operational matters.
• Build successful working relationships with key stakeholders with active engagement in the tier meeting programme representing technical with clear communication, action plans and support resolution.
• Lead the QA department in ensuring team & encourage at the site a culture of high standards in food safety, GMP and quality, leading by example across the site and with colleagues.
• Lead the QA department in their efforts for continuous improvement projects from ideas generation to completion. Ensures the QA department tracks effects of improvement projects and report on progress to the site leadership function.

These are the key tasks, not a comprehensive list of all tasks undertaken by the job holder. Flexibility is required by the business & this will be agreed with the individual’s line manager. All employees should carry out their duties in a responsible manner giving due consideration to Safety, Environmental & Quality procedures. Contribute to the health & safety of self and others by applying health and safety principles to the required standards whilst undertaking designated tasks. To maintain product Food Safety, Legality, Integrity, Authenticity and Quality standards by ensuring all associated policies and procedures are adhered to.

• Knowledge: Food Processing - Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Food legislation/labelling, Chemistry, Canning, Bottling, Thermal Processing, Accreditation bodies, Enforcement agencies, CIP.
• Experience of SAP QMS.
• Skills: QMS, BRC-accreditation, FMCG, ISO/Quality Systems, Consumer Care, Pest control, IT skills: Spreadsheets & data analysis, SAP, HACCP Level 4, BSc or equivalent in food related subject, Food Safety Level 4 or Food microbiological training, Lead auditor, IOSH or NEBOSH.

Country: United Kingdom
Location: Long Sutton
Business Area: Operations
Workplace Type: Onsite

About Princes: The Princes Group has over 7,000 employees with offices and production sites in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France and Mauritius. Princes manufactures 350 different food and drink products responsibly sourced and enjoyed by consumers every day. None of this would be possible without striving to be an employer of choice, where our colleagues are proud to represent our business.