Hygiene Manager

Hygiene Manager – Maternity Cover Northfleet, Kent | Monday to Friday £50,000 – £55,000 We are recruiting for an experienced Hygiene Manager to join a busy food manufacturing site on a maternity cover basis. This is a key leadership position responsible for overseeing the site-wide Hygiene function, leading a large team and ensuring consistently high standards of hygiene, food safety, compliance and cleaning across the site.

You’ll work closely with Technical, Production, Engineering and Projects teams, playing an important role in maintaining standards while also driving continuous improvement.

The Role As Hygiene Manager, you will take ownership of the site's hygiene strategy and standards, ensuring they meet legal, BRCGS, customer and internal requirements. You will lead and develop the Hygiene team, ensuring clear standards are maintained and performance is consistently monitored and improved.

Key Responsibilities Lead, manage and develop a large Hygiene team across the site. Set clear standards, priorities and expectations across the Hygiene function. Coach and develop Hygiene Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders. Develop and maintain site-wide cleaning and deep-cleaning schedules. Ensure hygiene standards meet BRCGS, food safety, legal and customer requirements. Monitor and verify cleaning standards and ensure corrective actions are completed.

Lead the Hygiene response to contamination and allergen-related risks. Maintain strong audit readiness and support customer and regulatory audits. Manage the Hygiene budget, including labour, chemicals, equipment, PPE and workwear. Monitor hygiene KPIs, costs and performance and identify areas for improvement. Drive improvements to cleaning methods, processes, resource utilisation and team structures. Use data and root-cause analysis to identify and prevent recurring issues.

Work closely with Technical, Production, Engineering and Projects. Provide Hygiene input into new projects, equipment installations and site developments. Manage relationships with external contractors, suppliers and specialist service providers. About You We're looking for a confident and experienced Hygiene professional who can lead a large team and operate effectively within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. You will ideally have:
Previous Hygiene Management experience within food manufacturing , ideally high-care or ready-to-eat. Experience managing a large Hygiene team. Strong knowledge of BRCGS, HACCP, food safety and hygiene compliance . Experience managing Hygiene budgets and costs. Experience developing and monitoring Hygiene KPIs. Strong knowledge of sanitation and cleaning standards. Excellent people management, coaching and team development skills. Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis abilities.

Confidence working with senior stakeholders and multiple departments. Good communication and organisational skills. Good Microsoft Excel and data reporting skills. Qualifications Essential: HACCP Level
3. Recognised hygienic design qualification, formal training or equivalent practical experience. Desirable:
Degree or equivalent in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering or a related discipline. Continuous improvement or structured problem-solving qualification. What's on Offer? £50,000 – £55,000 Monday to Friday working pattern Maternity cover opportunity On-site parking Electric vehicle charging points Brand-new facilities Staff restaurant with heavily subsidised food Staff events Supportive working environment Access to a scheme allowing you to instantly access earned pay Interested?

This is a great opportunity for an experienced Hygiene Manager to take ownership of a key function within a large food manufacturing operation, leading a substantial team and making a genuine impact on hygiene, food safety and site performance. If you have the experience and leadership skills we're looking for, apply today for more information.