Quality Manager

Quality Manager – Food Manufacturing

Location: Doncaster, (Commutable from Scunthorpe, Gainsborough, Selby, Goole)

Benefits: 31 days annual leave, pension & Westfield Health.

Reports to: Head of Technical

The Quality Manager will share responsibility for the management of Quality Assurance across all shifts, ensuring the factory is consistently compliant with all safety and quality standards and always audit-ready. This role plays a pivotal part in maintaining the highest levels of quality, and food safety, with a key focus on effective team management, auditing, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Quality Team Management

• Lead regular shift handovers and quality meetings with the Quality Assurance team.
• Ensure all shifts are adequately staffed, with appropriate skills in place to cover holidays and absences.
• Oversee weekly factory walkabouts to ensure all areas comply with safety and quality standards.
• Monitor and present technical KPIs every week, identifying areas for improvement.
• Understand, implement, and review quality systems for food production in line with agreed safety and quality standards.
• Manage plant shutdowns, ensuring a clean, food-safe plant with low microbial and gluten-free counts.

Quality Management System / Audits / Retailer Compliance:

• Organise, maintain and ensure the site Quality Management System (QMS) is kept up to date.
• Conduct traceability exercises for mock recalls, customer audits, and BRC audits within a four-hour timescale.
• Perform annual CCP validations for metal detection, sieving, and other critical control points.
• Conduct internal audits in line with the set schedule and ensure GMP and CCP audits are regularly carried out.
• Ensure checkweighers are properly set and serviced annually by contractors and ensure the external calibration of all relevant equipment (e.g., checkweighers, metal detectors, probes, scales, ovens).
• Participate in customer and BRC audits, ensuring all paperwork and procedures are maintained and compliant.
• Support the Technical Manager in performing gap analyses of new retailer codes of practice.
• Attend site HACCP & Gluten-Free team meetings.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, production, warehouse) to drive quality improvements and resolve issues.
• Ensure the site’s production paperwork is organised, archived, and readily accessible.

General Administrative / Sample Management:

• Investigate complaints and internal quality issues, driving corrective actions where necessary.
• Keep weekly KPI slides up to date, ensuring they reflect the latest quality data.
• Support pest control activities, including routine visits and working with biologists.
• Manage and send samples to laboratories for testing (e.g., microbiology, gluten-free, water, listeria, acrylamide, hand swabbing), and address out-of-spec results with corrective actions.
• Maintain and oversee the site’s stock on hold and release logs.
• Ensure the supplier log is consistently updated and maintain strong communication with raw material suppliers and customers on issues impacting food safety, quality, or legality.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in a similar quality management role, preferably within the food manufacturing industry.
• Sound knowledge of retailer requirements, technical documentation, and alerts.
• High proficiency in computer systems, especially Excel and Word.
• Up-to-date knowledge of food legislation and its application within a manufacturing context.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong attention to detail and ability to work methodically and accurately.
• Positive, proactive attitude with a willingness to get involved and drive improvements.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with various stakeholders.
• Exceptional organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Logical thinking with a problem-solving approach.
• Strong leadership qualities, with the ability to lead a team and collaborate effectively across departments.

Additional Information:

Flexibility in working hours is required, as this is not a standard 9-5 role. The role will involve supporting various shifts as needed to ensure team coverage and compliance.

If you are an experienced Quality Manager or Quality Supervisor seeking that next step in your career, with a passion for food safety, quality, and continuous improvement, we invite you to apply and join our dynamic team!

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