Quality Systems Manager in Lincoln

Westfalia Fruit is a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit and related value-added products to global markets. Through our vertically-integrated supply chain we grow, source, ripen, pack, process and market quality avocadoes & fresh produce - 365 days a year across the globe. With the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world, we are recognised as the leading #avoexperts and considered as the supplier of choice to both retail & wholesale customers whom we serve from sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America & Southern Africa.

The Quality Systems Manager is responsible for maintaining and improving the UK site-level Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with food safety, legal, and customer standards. The role supports the development of the HACCP/Food Safety and Quality Plan, manages internal and third-party audits, and embeds a strong culture of compliance, food safety, and continuous improvement. This position plays a critical role in safeguarding product integrity, supporting customer satisfaction, and enabling operational efficiency by ensuring systems, documentation, and processes are robust, effective, and consistently applied.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Standard - Own and maintain a fully functional Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring full compliance with all legal, customer, and industry standards.
• Champion Food Safety - Drive the ongoing development of HACCP and Food Safety & Quality Plans, embedding a strong food safety culture across site operations.
• Audit-Ready, Always - Manage internal audit schedules, lead corrective and preventive actions, and ensure the site is always prepared for external certifications like BRC and GG COC.
• Train & Empower Teams - Deliver impactful training on QMS, GMP, and food safety practices to build knowledge and accountability across the workforce.
• Drive Compliance Metrics - Track and deliver key site KPIs for audits, hygiene, GMP, and environmental standards, ensuring continuous performance improvement.
• Control Hygiene & Pest Management - Oversee hygiene service providers and pest control contractors to maintain the highest site standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work closely with Operations, Technical, Hygiene, and Engineering teams to enhance processes and ensure quality at every stage.
• Support Continuous Improvement - Be a key player in site improvement initiatives, evolving systems to meet changing business and regulatory demands.
• Right First Time Approach - Champion grading and defect management at source to reduce waste and increase product quality from the ground up.
• Key Liaison Point - Act as the main contact for third-party auditors, industry bodies, and certification organizations to represent the site professionally and confidently.

Travel Requirements

• Occasional UK travel to suppliers, service providers, or industry bodies for audits, training, or system alignment.
• Limited international travel may be required to support alignment with global systems.

Requirements

Essential

• Experience in a quality systems role within fresh produce, FMCG, or food manufacturing.
• Demonstrable experience managing QMS, audits, and certification processes.
• Strong working knowledge of UK food safety legislation and retailer standards.
• Proficient in HACCP, GMP, and internal auditing practices.
• Experience with QMS platforms and data-driven quality management.
• Ability to interpret and apply standards from BRC, GlobalG.A.P, and customer codes of practice.
• Detail-oriented and systematic, with strong organisational skills.
• Confident communicator able to influence at all levels.
• Problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Collaborative team player with a proactive, hands-on approach.

Desirable

• Food Safety or Quality Management qualifications (HACCP, Lead Auditor, BRC) preferred.
• Experience working with fresh produce, ripening, or packing operations.
• Exposure to digital quality systems, traceability tools, and data analytics platforms.
• Continuous improvement certification (Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen).
• Prior engagement with UK retailer audits and customer quality requirements.

Benefits

• 20 days holiday plus public holidays
• Free on-site parking
• Additional Annual Leave day on your Birthday
• Company pension plan
• Medicash plan
• Life Insurance

Please note that this position does not have a specific closing date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and the advert may be removed at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity or disability status.