Technical Manager

Technical Manager – Food Manufacturing (FTC) Location: London Salary: £75,000–£80,000 DOE Contract: 12 month Fixed-Term (Maternity Cover) Are you a Technical Manager with a passion for food safety, quality, and leading high-performing teams? We’re looking for a strong, decisive leader to hold the fort at one of the UK’s most innovative and fast-paced branded food businesses. About the Role Reporting to the Head of Technical and forming a key part of the Site Leadership Team, you\’ll lead all technical functions on site—ensuring the production of delicious, safe, and legal food across a dynamic chilled ready meals operation. This isn’t a role for making sweeping changes; instead, we need a confident, capable Technical lead to maintain and uphold our exceptional standards, support the technical team, and provide clear guidance on day-to-day technical matters. What You\’ll Be Doing * Act as Technical Site Lead, overseeing food safety, quality, and compliance * Be the HACCP Team Leader (Level 4 required) and maintain audit-ready standards (BRC, internal) * Support and develop a strong on-site technical team including QA Manager and Quality Technologists * Maintain and enhance our food safety culture, working cross-functionally with Ops, Supply Chain & NPD * Engage in fast-paced new product launches – trials, raw materials, suppliers, processes * Lead in areas like GMP, non-conformance resolution, supplier approvals, QMS training & documentation * Provide calm, assertive decision-making during technical escalations and be part of the incident management team What We\’re Looking For * Proven experience (5–6 years+) in Technical/Food Safety roles in chilled food manufacturing * Strong knowledge of High Care is highly advantageous * Degree in Food Science or related field * HACCP Level 4 (essential), Food Safety Level 3, Internal Audit trained * Team management experience with a collaborative, people-first approach * Confident communicator and decision-maker who can lead under pressure * Agility to operate in a branded, fast-paced environment where priorities change quickly * A cultural fit – someone who thrives on respect, collaboration, and pride in their work Why Join Us? You’ll be joining a business that truly values quality, pace, and its people. This 12 month FTC role is a fantastic opportunity to lead a respected technical team, drive food safety excellence, and keep things running smoothly while making a real difference in a high-performing, values-led organisation. Interested? Let’s talk! Apply now or contact Charlotte Liddiard-Smith at The Oval Partnership for a confidential discussion