Food Safety & Quality Auditor

Avara Foods Ltd; Hereford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food company in the UK is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Auditor to ensure product safety and quality compliance across their sites. The successful candidate will conduct audits, provide technical support, and drive continuous improvement. Qualifications include experience in food auditing and a Lead Auditor qualification. Benefits include a competitive salary starting at £40,000, 33 days holiday, and various lifestyle perks.

Benefits

33 days holiday allowance

6% pension

Life assurance

Cashback perks

Health advice & support

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience conducting independent audits to BRCGS and/or retailer standards.
• Proven ability to coach and influence site teams.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly to sites nationwide.

Responsibilities

• Conduct internal audits to verify compliance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Support sites in maintaining compliance with BRCGS and retailer standards.
• Provide external technical support during retailer or third-party audits.

Skills

Extensive experience in food manufacturing or retail technical auditing

Lead Auditor qualification (ISO 9001 / BRCGS or equivalent)

Strong working knowledge of food safety systems

Excellent communication skills

Tools

Electronic auditing platforms (e.g., SafetyCulture, iAuditor)

Job description

Overview

About the Role: Who are we, and what do we do?

Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants. We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door – meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

About the Role: As an inclusive, forward-thinking business, we take pride in our approach to Standards and Compliance across Avara Foods and are looking for a highly competent and motivated Food Safety & Quality Auditor to join our Compliance team.

The role requires travel to our nationwide sites and you would be required to enter and be exposed to the different working environments. As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor you’ll be working Monday to Friday 08:00 - 17:00 (Travels between sites required).

What will you be doing as a Food Safety & Quality Auditor

As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor your role will be to safeguard product safety, quality, and legality across all Avara Foods sites through a structured program of internal audits, ensuring ongoing compliance with BRCGS, retailer standards, and statutory legislation but also to act as a group-wide resource, providing independent assurance, coaching, and technical expertise to site teams, supporting them in maintaining certification and driving continuous improvement in food safety and quality systems.

Key responsibilities

• Quality Management Systems and Audits
  • Lead and conduct internal audits across all manufacturing sites to verify compliance with company policies, BRCGS, retailer standards, and legal requirements.
  • Support sites in preparing for third-party and customer audits, including gap assessments and readiness reviews.
  • Identify non-conformances, record them within the electronic audit platform (e.g., SafetyCulture / iAuditor), and work with the site management team to drive continuous improvement through effective follow up and close out of corrective and preventive actions.
  • Support development and deployment of standardised internal audit templates and guidance materials.
• Internal Technical Support
  • Support sites in delivering the Food Safety and Quality Culture program and maintaining compliance with BRCGS, retailer and legislative codes of practice.
  • Verify that corrective actions from audit findings are effectively implemented and sustained.
• External Technical Support
  • Support group representation during retailer or third-party audits and site visits, providing expert input and assurance to demonstrate compliance.
  • Where required, participate in BRCGS or customer audits, ensuring compliance.

What you’ll need to be successful

Essential

• Extensive experience in food manufacturing or retail technical auditing.
• Lead Auditor qualification (ISO 9001 / BRCGS or equivalent).
• Demonstrable experience conducting independent audits to BRCGS and/or retailer standards (e.g., Tesco, M&S).
• Strong working knowledge of food safety systems, BRCGS, and relevant food legislation.
• Proven ability to coach, influence, and build capability within site teams.
• Experience of using electronic auditing platforms (e.g., SafetyCulture, iAuditor) and interpreting audit performance data.
• Excellent communication, organisation, and report-writing skills.
• Analytical mindset with ability to interpret data and identify root causes and trends.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly to sites nationwide.

Desirable

• Intermediate or Advanced HACCP (Level 3 or above).
• Intermediate or Advanced Food Safety (Level 3 or above).
• Understanding of risk-based auditing, problem-solving tools (5 Whys, Fishbone, etc.), and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Retailer auditing experience or auditor approval (Tesco, M&S).

The benefits of working for Avara Foods

As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor you will enjoy a secure, supportive and progressive working environment, where your contribution and achievements will be recognised and rewarded.

We offer comprehensive training as well as continuous development as you build your long-term career with us. You can also look forward to benefits that amongst other things include the following:

• From £40,000 per annum DOE
• 33 days holiday allowance
• 6% pension
• Life assurance/insurance
• Various lifestyle benefits, such as cashback perks, exclusive shopping discounts from well known retailers, and discounted cinema tickets!
• Wellbeing resources, including free online health advice & support, and wellbeing assessments.

What happens after you apply for this role?

After you’ve applied, you’ll be contacted in due course by our Resourcing Team Lead, to discuss your application and CV further. There’ll also be a chance for you to ask us any questions you may have about the role.

If you’re ready to work in a dynamic environment alongside talented people who take pride in delivering great results, apply today!

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

INDHP #TheAvaraWay