Technical Manager
5 days ago
Rainham
Location: Rainham, Essex - on-site full-time Reporting to: Head of Technical About Us Frive is on a mission to revolutionise healthy eating with 100% natural, ready-to-eat meals. As the UK’s highest-rated ready-to-eat meal brand, we’ve delivered over 10 million meals - and we’re just getting started. Frive (formerly Lions Prep) is the UK’s highest-rated ready-to-eat meal delivery subscription, delivering tens of thousands of fresh, natural, chef-prepared meals to customers’ doors across the UK each week. We are committed to our vision of creating 100% organic meals without the hefty price tag, freeing us from a food system that compromises our health for profit We work with people from all different backgrounds and communities and recognise our own biases. We strive to create a strong sense of belonging and believe we will be better equipped to achieve our goals by building a team that approaches problems from different angles, using different perspectives and experiences to solve problems. All qualified applicants will be considered and we have no regard for age, ethnicity, ability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation the more the merrier, and together we can achieve greatness Mission We help busy people enjoy natural, healthy eating with ready-to-eat meals delivered to their door, proven to support their health goals. Vision To transform health by revolutionising eating habits and restoring food to its natural form. Values Empowerment: We empower our people to make strong, independent decisions with confidence Transparency: We share information openly and with intention Open Communication: We communicate directly and honestly High Performance: We foster an environment that attracts, retains, and rewards high performance Agility: We encourage flexibility in our people by reducing blockers and prioritising their creativity and productivity Impact We are seeking a proactive and experienced Technical Manager to lead the technical, food safety, and quality agenda at our meals manufacturing site. This role is critical to ensuring our chilled meals meet all legal, customer, and safety requirements while driving continuous improvements in compliance, hygiene, and quality standards. Responsibilities Food Safety & Compliance: • Maintain and develop the site’s HACCP plans for meal production (including high-care areas)., • Ensure full compliance with UK Food Safety legislation, FSA, and with the Quality Systems & Compliance Manager, lead the practical implementation of BRCGS standards., • Act as the technical lead during inspections and regulatory visits., • Manage allergen control, traceability, and shelf-life validation processes. Quality & Technical Systems: • Lead the practical elements of the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring accurate records and documentation across all processes., • Oversee the label verification and pack copy approval processes in line with UK food labelling laws., • Drive site standards in GMP, hygiene, and environmental monitoring. Team Leadership & Training: • Manage, mentor, and develop the site QA team., • Provide training across departments to uphold food safety and quality culture., • Ensure technical KPIs (e.g., complaints, non-conformances, audit scores) are met and communicated. Customer Engagement: • Be the key point of contact for technical queries and product launches., • For future B2B ensure all products meet customer specifications and portal requirements, • Lead customer complaint investigations and implement corrective actions. Supplier & Raw Material Assurance: • Approve and monitor raw material suppliers, ensuring ingredient compliance for ready meal applications., • Coordinate supplier audits and maintain up-to-date raw material specifications and risk assessments. NPD & Launch Support: • Work closely with NPD and Commercial teams to support the launch of new ready meals, from concept through to shelf., • Ensure food safety, shelf-life, and legal compliance of new recipes and packaging. Qualifications & Experience: Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or related discipline. Minimum 3–5 years in a senior technical or quality role within chilled or frozen ready meals manufacturing. Proven knowledge of BRCGS for Food Safety, HACCP, retailer standards, and UK food regulations. Experience working in high-care/high-risk environments. Desirable Skills: Lead Auditor Qualification (BRC/ISO). Level 4 Food Safety & HACCP certification. Strong communication and leadership skills. What's next? If you are interested in learning more about the role and think this could be for you, then don't hesitate and apply now. We look forward to hearing from you and love hearing from people who are passionate about our purpose and vision.
