Technical Manager - Catering Supplies in Ashford

Sysco are currently recruiting for a Technical Manager – Catering Supplies to join the Merchandising team on a full time, permanent basis, reporting to the Head of Product Technology. As the Technical Manager for Catering Supplies, it is your responsibility to work as part of a designated category team and manage all elements relating to Product Quality, Safety, Legality, and Integrity for a defined portfolio of suppliers and products ensuring a comprehensive technical support service is provided. Using knowledge of suppliers, products, markets and manufacturing processes to reduce or mitigate product costs and to design and develop innovative, market leading new products and have an active role in leading the packaging agenda to drive continuous improvement and consistency across the business. This role is offering a hybrid working contract, with 1 day per week in our Ashford, Kent office for Team Collaboration, so you must be in a commutable distance and open to travel.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Provide support, guidance and expertise to the procurement & category team in context of supplier selection, supplier expertise, product quality attributes and control parameters which will successfully contribute to exceeding customer expectations, growing sales and profit.
• Support the Constellation initiative to deliver against the annual growth target.
• Stay abreast of industry challenges, issues and developments, sharing insight within the technical, category & procurements teams to mitigate impact and support sales growth.
• Effective supplier management from initial selection & approval through conducting site visits, setting clear technical expectations, providing guidance & support, issuing performance updates and instigate joint business/improvement plans.
• Maintain the approved supplier database, complete due diligence visits as required ensuring visit reports are documented and all non-conformances are effectively closed out.
• Maintain up to date specifications for all products.
• Generate and approve own brand artwork.
• Instigate product risk management action plan & develop an awareness of emerging issues, escalating within the business to mitigate business and customer impact.
• Focus on complaint trending, monitoring & root cause analysis, working with suppliers to support the annual KPI.
• Instigate a robust quality assessment programme for product range.
• Provide support & input to ensure marketing literature is informative for our customers.
• Deliver innovative technical solutions which add value to the business in areas such as cost reduction and/or improved quality without cost increase.
• Support the 6 stage category management process.
• Support the team in strengthening / consolidating the supply base.

About you

The ideal candidate will have relevant industry experience within a quality, packaging, product development or sustainability-focused environment. You possess strong analytical and IT skills, with a sound understanding of quality management and HACCP systems, as well as European and UK legislation relevant to the food and packaging sectors. You will have a solid knowledge of packaging development processes, environmental issues, current legislation, emerging trends and new technologies, enabling you to provide informed and practical solutions. An excellent communicator, you can build effective relationships across stakeholders and present information clearly and confidently. Highly organised with strong project management capabilities, you can manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a structured and efficient manner. You are flexible, adaptable and willing to travel as required. Experience working within cross-functional teams would be advantageous, along with exceptionally strong organisational, communication and project management skills.

What you’ll receive

• Car Allowance of £5,500 per annum.
• Private Medical healthcare.
• Generous holiday allowance, with option to purchase 5 additional holiday days.
• Huge discounts on all sorts of lovely food and award-winning products through our staff shop.
• Discounts on Cinema tickets, shopping and earn cashback on purchases through Sodexo.
• Recognition awards and Incentives.
• Career progression opportunities - being part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opens up a world of possibility.

Additional information

At Sysco GB everyone is welcome. We don’t want you to ‘fit our culture’ we want you to help define it and we actively celebrate the unique talents of each and every colleague. We don’t just look at your CV, we’re more focused on who you are and your potential. As part of our values, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone has a voice, is appreciated and has the same opportunities. We work hard to ensure that everyone feels part of our business, as we care for one another and connect the world through food and trusted partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone belongs and thrives at Sysco GB and we recognise that Sysco GB can only thrive when everyone feels they belong. We'll do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, speak to our resourcing team who will be happy to support you.