Assistant Technical Manager

With over 65 years of experience, Hughes Group is a trusted name in fresh mushrooms and innovative plant-based products across the UK. We work in close partnership with leading retailers and food service providers and are known for our quality, reliability, and customer-first approach.

While we’re proud of our heritage, our focus is firmly on the future. As a growing FMCG business, we’re investing in innovation, sustainability, and—most importantly—our people.

Hughes Group is recruiting for a newly created Assistant Technical Manager role within our growing Technical and Quality Team. Supporting the Technical Manager and deputising in their absence, you will help maintain the highest standards of food safety, quality, legality and compliance across our factory operations.

Working closely with Production, Quality and Technical teams, you will ensure products meet customer, legal and certification requirements, drive continuous improvement, maintain audit readiness, and lead and develop a team. This is a hands‑on role requiring a strong factory presence and responsibility for the site's Technical Services and Quality Management Systems.

Choice of Tuesday – Saturday OR Sunday – Thursday / 8am – 5pm

Technical Manager

• Lead, coach and develop a team, ensuring high standards of performance and compliance.
• Manage the day‑to‑day operation of the Technical Services department and deputise for the Technical Manager when required.
• Ensure compliance with customer, legal and accredited standards, including BRCGS, HACCP and other relevant food safety requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement of the Quality Management System, HACCP programme and audit readiness.
• Investigate non‑conformances, customer complaints and quality issues, implementing effective corrective and preventative actions.
• Coordinate internal audits, testing programmes and cleaning validation activities, ensuring accurate records and trend analysis.
• Maintain technical documentation, specifications and quality records to support compliance.
• Provide technical support and training across the business and act as the key technical contact for production and quality teams.
• Support supplier approval activities and prepare for customer, regulatory and third‑party audits.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties in support of the Technical function and wider business.

• 3+ years experience in a Quality or Technical role within the food manufacturing industry
• Sound understanding of food safety and quality management systems
• Good knowledge of HACCP principles and food safety legislation
• Experience working to customer and industry standards within a food manufacturing environment.
• IT literate with experience using Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to prioritise workloads and work effectively under pressure
• Strong sense of accountability and ownership
• Qualification in a Technical, Quality or Food‑related discipline (e.g. Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Management)
• Experience working to customer and industry standards within a food manufacturing environment
• Experience with in chilled, frozen or high‑risk food manufacturing
• Experience of supplier approval and supplier management
• Experience delivering training and coaching colleagues on food safety and quality systems