The Oval Partnership is supporting a leading food manufacturer in the appointment of an experienced Technical Manager.

This is a senior site leadership opportunity for a quality and food safety professional who can combine strong technical expertise with commercial awareness, visible leadership and a genuine commitment to continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in protecting product integrity, strengthening customer confidence and ensuring the site consistently delivers safe, legal, authentic and high-quality products.

The Role

Reporting to the Site Director, with a dotted line to the Group Quality Director, you will lead the site’s Quality, Food Safety and Regulatory agenda.

As a member of the Site Leadership Team, you will influence business strategy while ensuring that technical standards remain central to operational performance and sustainable growth.

You will lead and develop the Quality team, promote ownership of food safety across the site and work collaboratively with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Procurement and wider Group Technical functions.

This is an influential role for a proactive leader who believes quality should be embedded throughout the organisation—not simply managed by the Technical function.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance.

• Lead, coach and develop the Quality team, building capability, accountability and succession.

• Maintain overall accountability for product safety, legality, authenticity and quality.

• Lead the site’s Food Safety Management System and HACCP programme.

• Develop and continuously improve the Quality Management System.

• Ensure compliance with food legislation, customer requirements and applicable certification standards.

• Maintain certification to relevant standards, including IFS Higher Level, organic, ethical and customer-specific requirements.

• Lead customer, certification and regulatory audits, ensuring robust preparation and successful outcomes.

• Drive a proactive food safety and quality culture across all operational teams.

• Lead risk assessments covering products, processes, raw materials and suppliers.

• Own supplier approval, supplier performance monitoring and supplier audit processes.

• Provide technical leadership for new product introductions, process changes and capital investment projects.

• Maintain effective internal auditing, verification, management review and change control processes.

• Drive reductions in complaints, non-conformances and the cost of poor quality through data analysis and root cause investigation.

• Champion Right First Time principles and support wider Operational Excellence initiatives.

• Oversee laboratory verification, analytical testing, environmental monitoring, pest management and raw material verification programmes.

• Deliver technical training and build food safety and quality capability throughout the site.

• Develop annual Quality objectives aligned with the wider site strategy.

• Build effective relationships with customers, certification bodies, regulatory authorities and external stakeholders.

This position would be ideal for an established Technical, Quality or Food Safety professional with significant experience in a food manufacturing environment.

Confidence operating at site leadership level and able to translate technical requirements into practical, commercially focused solutions would be an advantage.

Desirable Skills & Experience 

• Proven experience leading a Quality or Technical function within FMCG food manufacturing.

• Experience managing, coaching and developing Quality teams.

• A strong track record of maintaining BRCGS Grade AA/A, IFS Higher Level or equivalent certification.

• Detailed knowledge of HACCP, food legislation, food safety management systems and quality standards.

• Experience leading customer, certification and regulatory audits.

• Demonstrable success in improving food safety culture, quality performance and operational standards.

• Experience of supplier approval, supplier auditing and customer technical relationships.

• Strong knowledge of root cause analysis, risk assessment, internal auditing and continual improvement methods.

• Experience working as part of a cross-functional site leadership team.

• A degree in Food Science or a related discipline is preferred.

• HACCP Level 4 and Food Safety Level 4 qualifications, or a willingness to obtain them.

• Lead Auditor qualification would be advantageous.

We are ideally looking for a credible and visible leader who can influence at every level of the organisation.

The role requires someone with:

• High personal integrity and a strong commitment to consumer safety.

• The confidence to make difficult decisions when required.

• A calm, measured approach under pressure.

• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.

• Strong commercial awareness and data-driven decision-making ability.

• A collaborative, coaching-led management style.

• Strategic thinking combined with excellent attention to detail.

• Personal accountability and a continuous improvement mindset.

This is an opportunity to join a purpose-led food manufacturing business where the Technical Manager will have genuine influence over site performance, culture and future development.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Shape and strengthen the site’s technical and quality strategy.

• Lead a talented Quality team and develop future capability.

• Influence the wider Site Leadership Team.

• Drive measurable improvements in food safety, customer satisfaction and operational performance.

• Work across a broad range of technical, regulatory, supplier and continuous improvement priorities.

• Contribute to the long-term success of an organisation committed to high standards and responsible growth.

Please get in touch to find out more about this exciting opportunity or apply with your CV today.