Head of Technical & Quality
3 days ago
Craigavon
Avondale Foods is a leading food processing company of Fresh and Chilled products supplying leading retail businesses such as Marks & Spencer, Morrison’s and Waitrose in the UK. The Head of Technical & Quality will provide uncompromising leadership of food safety, quality, legality, and retailer compliance across the business. They will protect customer’s technical confidence, ensure repeatable audit success, strengthen governance and embed a proactive, disciplined and scientifically rigorous technical culture. Key Responsibilities Lead Food Safety & Compliance with Zero‑Tolerance Standards • Own the full technical governance framework for BRC, retailer COPs, microbiological standards, allergen control, traceability, and GMP., • Implement a robust, audit‑ready every day environment—no pre‑audit clean‑ups, no surprises., • Lead immediate and long‑term recovery plans to re‑establish customer confidence., • Hold weekly technical–operational alignment sessions specifically focused on customer issues and improvement actions., • Bring heightened visibility to customer COP compliance, micro performance, and factory standards., • Redesign the internal audit programme to mirror retailer expectations., • Implement a risk‑based audit model with unannounced internal audits and follow‑up verification., • Introduce clear escalation protocols when audit findings are repeated, unresolved, or high risk., • Raise performance expectations for all technical managers, QA teams, hygiene, and compliance roles., • Build technical capability through structured training (COPs, root‑cause analysis, HACCP, customer standards)., • Address under‑performance quickly with coaching, development, or realignment of roles., • Work hand‑in‑hand with the Head of Operations to deliver consistent factory discipline., • Strengthen daily factory technical presence and visibility on the floor., • Ensure GMP, hygiene, allergen control and traceability procedures are adhered to at all times., • Oversee accurate specifications, robust validation, and manufacturability assessments., • Ensure technical sign‑off for concept feasibility, trials, and launches., • Lead investigation and root cause analysis for any food safety incident, customer complaint spike, or audit failure., • Communicate transparently with customers during incidents with factual, science‑based reporting., • Put in place permanent corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to prevent recurrence., • Contribute to the development of a culture of Integrity, collaboration ‘do the right thing’ approach in all interactions., • Degree‑qualified in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline., • Extensive technical leadership experience within a complex, highly regulated FMCG environment, ideally food manufacturing supplying major UK retailers., • Proven track record of leading food safety, quality, and compliance functions with zero‑tolerance standards covering BRCGS, retailer COPs, allergens, microbiology, traceability, and GMP., • Experience designing and embedding governance frameworks, internal audit programmes, and risk‑based technical systems that deliver repeatable audit success., • Strong background in leading technical teams through cultural change, capability uplift, high‑performance expectations, and disciplined execution., • Proven ability to partner effectively with Operations to drive factory standards, improve manufacturing discipline, and ensure joint ownership of compliance., • Experience supporting NPD, commercial, and supply chain functions with robust technical assessments, risk evaluations, and retailer technical sign‑off., • Demonstrated capability in crisis management, root‑cause investigations, incident reporting, and implementing sustainable corrective/preventive actions (CAPA)., • Experience working across multiple sites or international operations, • Exposure to different product categories (e.g. chilled, frozen, ambient, high-risk), • Experience supporting or leading site start-ups, restructures, or major transformations, • Formal training in Lean, Six Sigma, or CI methodologies, • Proven track record of delivering measurable improvements (e.g. complaint reduction, audit scores, waste reduction), • Experience implementing digital quality or traceability systems, • Direct experience working with major UK retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, or Marks & Spencer at a senior technical level, • Experience leading or supporting customer visits, audits, and critical issue resolution, • Ability to influence commercial decisions using technical insight, • Coaching and mentoring future technical leaders, • Experience building a strong food safety culture across an organisation, • Agile, decisive and adaptable - able to operate in a dynamic, high‑pressure environment while maintaining clarity, control, and excellent judgment., • Structured, disciplined, and methodical in approach, with strong governance instincts and a commitment to “audit‑ready every day” standards., • Scientifically rigorous with a deep understanding of microbiology, food safety systems, and risk‑based decision making., • High personal accountability - sets uncompromising standards for themselves and others; does not tolerate mediocrity or repeated non‑compliance., • Strong leadership presence, able to influence cross‑functional teams, challenge constructively, and hold people to account at all levels., • Clear, confident, and transparent communicator, skilled at explaining technical issues concisely to internal stakeholders and external partners including retailers., • Calm under pressure, especially during audits, incidents, or escalations; brings stability, clarity, and evidence‑based reasoning to decision making., • Proactive and prevention‑focused, constantly seeking to strengthen systems, anticipate risks, and eliminate root causes—not firefighting., • Collaborative, building strong technical‑operational alignment and promoting joint ownership of standards., • Zero failed audits within 12 months, • ≥ Grade A/B BRC results, • Significant reduction in non‑conformances (major/minor), • Demonstrable year‑on‑year improvement in hygiene, micro, and environmental monitoring trends, • All non‑conformances closed on time with verified CAPAs, • Internal audit scores improved and stabilised above set targets, • Reduction in repeat findings to near zero, • Reduction in customer complaints (rate per million units), • Improved GMP audit scores across factories, • Consistent allergen, traceability, and CCP compliance, • Clear uplift in capability, discipline, and accountability across technical teams, • Strong cross‑functional alignment with Operations, NPD, and Supply Chain