We’re looking for a hands-on QA Manager to lead food safety and quality across our cheese operations. You’ll be at the heart of ensuring our products are consistently safe, high-quality and delicious — working closely with teams to maintain standards, drive improvements and champion best practice.
You will be a key player, working with the Technical team and managing a small team of dedicated QAs to ensure all product manufactured at the Ilchester Cheese Co. meets our standards of quality, safety and legality. In this role you will play an active part in solving technical challenges, implementing positive change and driving best practice across the site.
This role will be site based, Monday to Friday and will report directly to the Technical Manager.
Salary: £40k
Summary and Purpose of Role:
Provide day to day management of the internal QA resource to ensure legal, food safety and quality compliance within the manufacturing environment. Ensuring the site is audit ready at all times.
Major Activities and Responsibilities (Job role primarily includes, but is not limited to):
Strategic Planning
- Setting quality budget within the overall Technical budget
- Setting and agreeing objectives, targets and development plans for the quality team
- Contribute to the Technical strategy
- Set Quality KPI’s and produce/update Quality Policies
- Contribute to Technical and Compliance KPI’s and procedures
- Contribute to managing change across the business in context to external & internal requirements to ensure compliance with product safety, product quality and authenticity standards
- Manage and implement BRC and customer codes of practice
- Manage and implement customer code of practice
- Assist in the sign off for new CAPEX equipment to ensure it meets technical and hygiene standards
- Assist in defining & ensuring the maintenance of the Quality Management Systems
- Maintain up to date knowledge of all legislation connected with Technical functions and advise as appropriate
- Monthly technical reports & analysis
- Contribute to identifying and assisting in technical initiatives which enhance the company’s innovative capabilities
- Setting QA internal audit schedule and contribute to setting the overall business internal audit schedule
- Drive best practice in food safety and quality
- Deputise for the Technical Manager
Tactical
- Setting and monitoring standards for food safety & integrity
- Implementing programs for food safety awareness and quality culture with all employees
- Implementing agreed Technical & Quality standards for private label & branded products.
- Co-ordinate Quality activities relating to customers with the account management teams & implement agreed actions
- Support the liaison with customer representatives and local government enforcement officers
- Assist as required in development & training of the Technical team
- Responsible for the development, training and people management of the Quality team through objectives and Development Plans
- Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement
- Responsible for setting and managing the QA working and holiday rota
- Maintaining Time & Attendance for the QA team
- External Services / calibration / maintenance – of metal detectors, scales, thermometers, check weighers and QA equipment
- Ensuring compliance with legal and customer standards across the site
- Support the Technical & Compliance managers with customer visits & third party audits, including traceability
- Utilise PDCA and RCA processes to drive continuous improvement
- Pest Control – maintain the contract, adherence to schedule and annual review
- Maintain traceability process and compliance
- Support the annual site review meeting
- Manage allergen systems and controls
- Support NPD with product development and trials
- Printer configurations, CCP control
- Conduct systems & factory operational audits – GMP’s
Operational
- Liaising with internal functions to originate all branded technical product specifications.
- Liaising with the customer technical departments to originate all private label technical product specifications
- Liaising with the manufacturing team & NPD to define & create operating specifications for Production to work to.
- Third party supplier and co packer technical conformance.
- Responsible for the factory floor Quality Assurance procedures and analysis of information provided
- Co-ordinates with the new product development department and supports the implementation of activities whilst ensuring they are technically & legislatively compliant.
- Responsible for the technical & ethical compliance of all raw materials used on site.
- Working with the Hygiene Manager to ensure the Ensures the hygiene team and ensure that in conjunction with the manufacturing management that the standards of cleaning and housekeeping within the factory are to a satisfactory standard. Defines & agrees the standards with the manufacturing team.
- Background & Profile:
- Minimum HNC Food Technology or equivalent
- Previous experience in the food industry – essential
- Experience of working with Top 4 Retailers (Preference Tesco & M&S) in a BRC accredited site – essential
- Knowledge & Understanding of full NPD process – desirable
- Computer literate
- Full Driving Licence essential
- Advanced HACCP – preferable
- Advanced Food Safety – Essential