Assistant Technical Manager

Location:

Refresco Bridgwater, England, United Kingdom

Assistant Technical Manager

We are looking for an experienced and confident Assistant Technical Manager to play a pivotal role in leading the Quality and Food Safety agenda at our Bridgwater site. This highly influential, day-based role supports and deputises for the Site Technical Manager, ensuring that quality, compliance and audit readiness are embedded into everything we do.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive pay
• 12.5% Annual bonus
• 7% Employer pension contribution
• Personal healthcare cover with Bupa
• Life assurance
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Purchase extra holiday scheme
• Access to employee benefits platform – Cheers which includes flexible benefits such as additional healthcare cover, healthcare cash plan, dental insurance, car scheme, activities pass, financial services, will writing services etc.

About the role

As Assistant Technical Manager, you will have day‑to‑day responsibility for the effective operation of the site Quality Management System (QMS), leading internal audit activity, supporting external and customer audits, and ensuring strong governance of HACCP, TACCP and GMP across the site.

You will work closely with the Compliance Manager and Factory Quality Managers to drive continuous improvement, reduce quality losses and maintain a strong audit‑ready culture.

Key Responsibilities Internal Audits & CAPA

• Assign and manage internal audits in line with the site audit schedule
• Act as a trained internal auditor, conducting audits as required
• Manage audit actions within the CAPA database, ensuring timely and accurate closure
• Escalate overdue actions through Tier 1 and Tier 2 daily meetings
• Support and train auditors in effective CAPA management
• Conduct and report on weekly task audits, including CCP verification
• Lead site traceability and product recall exercises

Complaints & Non‑Conforming Product

• Drive quality loss reduction plans in collaboration with Factory Quality Managers
• Reduce complaints and non‑conforming product through structured analysis and action planning

3rd Party & Customer Audits

• Act as the site lead and primary contact for all customer and 3rd party audits
• Partner with the Compliance Manager to deliver GMP and QMS audit elements
• Lead post‑audit reviews, assign actions, manage submissions and timelines
• Escalate non‑completion of actions where required
• Maintain strong customer‑facing relationships and audit readiness

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

• Conduct GMP audits, trend findings and drive reduction of non‑conformances
• Work with Factory Quality Managers to embed GMP improvements

Pest Control

• Act as site lead for pest control activities
• Schedule visits, manage databases, trend data and raise POs
• Report pest control performance into management reviews

HACCP & TACCP

• Lead the site HACCP & TACCP teams, ensuring reviews are completed to schedule
• Maintain compliant documentation and ensure cross‑functional team capability
• Support CCP training delivery across factory teams

Customer Gap Analysis

• Support customer gap analysis activities and drive closure of identified gaps
• Ensure cross‑functional ownership and awareness

Management Review & Documentation

• Prepare and lead site Management Review meetings
• Ensure minutes, actions and follow‑up are robust and visible
• Support document control and maintenance of quality documentation
• Maintain effective site Quality Plans in partnership with Factory Quality Managers
• Incident Management – Escalate significant quality incidents to the Site Technical Manager
• Provide QMS and food safety support during investigations and RCA

About you

• Good manufacturing understanding
• Strong analytical, organisational and planning skills
• Confidence to lead planning meetings and influence others at all levels
• Strong IT capability, with experience using SAP
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving and coaching skills

Seniority level:
Mid‑Senior level

Employment type:

Full‑time

Job function:
Engineering and Information Technology

Industry: Food and Beverage Services

About Refresco

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for global, national and emerging brands, and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia.…