Food Safety & Quality Manager

Job Description

Food Safety & Quality Manager (Food Manufacturing)

Are you an experienced Food Safety & Quality professional looking for your next leadership challenge? We are recruiting for a Food Safety & Quality Systems Manager to take ownership of quality, food safety, and environmental hygiene standards within a fast-paced food manufacturing operation.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated and influential leader to manage a small team, drive compliance, and champion continuous improvement initiatives that enhance product quality, operational performance, and customer satisfaction.

The Role

As Food Safety & Quality Systems Manager, you will lead a team of Quality Auditors and be responsible for ensuring the highest standards of food safety, legality, quality, and hygiene are maintained across the site.

Working closely with operational and technical teams, you will play a key role in developing and maintaining robust quality management systems, supporting audits, driving improvements, and embedding best practice throughout the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Quality Auditors, driving performance and engagement.
• Provide expert guidance on food safety, quality, legality, and hygiene standards.
• Ensure quality management systems, procedures, and controls are effectively implemented and maintained.
• Collaborate with central technical functions to share and implement best practices.
• Maintain compliance with all relevant statutory, regulatory, and company standards.
• Drive continuous improvement projects to enhance quality, efficiency, and cost performance.
• Support New Product Development (NPD) and Existing Product Development (EPD) activities, ensuring specification compliance.
• Investigate and manage food safety incidents, escalating where appropriate.
• Lead internal and external audits and ensure corrective actions are completed effectively.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business to influence and maintain high standards.
• Deliver training and coaching programmes focused on food safety, quality, and compliance.
• Deputise for senior technical leadership when required.

About You

You will be a proactive and confident technical professional with a passion for food safety, quality excellence, and continuous improvement. You will have strong leadership skills and the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 5 years’ experience within a Technical, Quality, or Hygiene role in the food industry.
• Degree-qualified in Food Science or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing teams.
• Strong problem-solving, planning, and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to perform effectively under pressure.
• A genuine passion for quality, food safety, and continuous improvement.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of baking processes.
• HACCP Level 3 qualification.
• IOSH Managing Safely certification.

What's on Offer?

• Opportunity to make a significant impact within a successful food manufacturing business.
• A challenging and rewarding leadership role with genuine autonomy.
• Collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Career development opportunities within a growing organisation.
• The chance to drive quality standards, food safety excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives.

If you are an experienced Food Safety & Quality professional ready to take the next step in your career, we'd love to hear from you.