Interim Technical Manager

apetito; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food supplier in the UK is seeking an interim Technical Manager to oversee the Quality and Food Safety Team at their Trowbridge facility. The role will ensure compliance with food safety standards and manage internal audits. Applicants should have at least 8 years of experience in food safety management. Company benefits include a competitive salary, 25 days holiday, and a bonus scheme. This position is critical as the company expands its operations and aims to maintain high quality standards in food production.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Subsidised canteen

Free parking

Christmas perk

Qualifications

• 8 years experience managing food safety and quality teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong mentoring and coaching skills to develop team potential.
• Strong understanding of BRCGS standard for Food Safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Kitchen East Quality and Food Safety Auditing team.
• Maintain process control, validation, HACCP and related systems.
• Ensure compliance through internal audits.

Skills

Food safety and quality management

Team leadership

HACCP knowledge

BRCGS standard knowledge

Mentoring and coaching

Incident investigation

Job description

Overview

The safety and quality of our food is a core foundational requirement and as a market leading business, we aim to drive and provide assurance of consistently high standards of food safety, legality and quality with an integrity and transparency that encourages trust and engagement from our colleagues, stakeholders and customers. We are delivering several important projects due to our continued growth, including building a new state of the art frozen food manufacturing facility near our current kitchens in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. To support the team during this busy time, we are looking for an interim Technical Manager. This role, reporting to the UK Group Technical Manager, will manage the site Quality and Foods Safety Team and HACCP-based systems, ensuring continued delivery of our business aims and maintaining our AA grade against the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety. The role will initially last for 6 months and has potential for extension.

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different frozen ready meals across the UK.

Responsibilities

• The health and safety of self and others
• Leadership of the Kitchen East Quality and Food Safety Auditing team
• Maintenance of process control, validation, HACCP and related systems
• Providing and supporting team and colleague training
• Leading and closure of internal and 3 rd party audits to ensure compliance is maintained to the highest levels
• Minimisation of held materials and finished stock
• Submission and presentation of monthly reports in relation to key accountabilities and KPI’s
• Maintaining respected, collaborative and influential relationships with colleagues and external personnel
• Prevention, investigation and closure of incidents and customer complaints
• Pest Control for Kitchen East
• Provide cover for the Group Technical Manager, Technical Manager Kitchen East and QFSA supervisors

About you

• 8 years experience managing food safety and quality teams in a manufacturing environment, ideally in a large manufacturer of complex foods e.g. ready meals
• Strong mentoring, coaching and people development skills to maximise team potential
• A strong understanding of the BRCGS standard for Food Safety and related food regulations
• Creation and continuous improvement of HACCP-based quality management systems
• Certification that enables you to undertake internal audits and host 3rd party audits
• Management and control of food allergen and microbiological risks
• Investigation, resolution and prevention of issues and complaints

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040. Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we are on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.