Head of Technical

Overview

Moulton Bulb Company is a specialist fresh produce business supplying onions, garlic, and shallots to several UK supermarkets. We turn over £90 million, employ 340 people, and have been doing this for three generations. Our focus is deliberately narrow – one category, done better than anyone else.

We are looking for a Head of Technical to lead our technical and quality function at a genuinely interesting moment for the business. We have active retailer relationships that demand technical rigour, an ESG programme with real deadlines, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Cranfield University focused on Fusarium disease management and soil health, and a large UK grower base and international suppliers that we are raising to a higher standard.

The role is broad, the expectations are high, and the right person will have the scope to shape something significant.

You will be an accomplished, credible leader; someone who can make difficult decisions, build trusted relationships with retail customers, and drive a technical function that is seen across the business as an enabler, not a gatekeeper. As we build our ESG programme and deepen our commitment to sustainable supply chains, this role will also be the lead for our grower sustainability programme.

You will inherit a highly capable team and a technical function that has achieved AA
* BRCGS certification with zero non‑conformances for three consecutive years; a standard that sets the baseline for what we expect to maintain and build on.

• Lead the technical and quality function, creating a future vision and technical strategy aligned to current and future business priorities
• Own the food safety and quality management system, HACCP programme, and internal audit schedule, maintaining BRC certification and all customer standards
• Be a trusted advisor across the business on food safety, quality, and technical matters
• Develop and maintain direct relationships with the technical teams at our key retail customers, managing audits, specifications, and sustainability requirements
• Work with the commercial function to support tenders, new business proposals, and product development
• Ensure training and development standards across the technical and quality teams deliver the competency and performance the business needs
• Support key retailers with sustainability and R&D priorities, including supply chain carbon data, climate resilience, and environmental compliance data capture
• Lead the operational delivery of our grower sustainability programme, including our carbon measurement pilot, IPM assessment across contracted growers, and the revised grower technical pack incorporating ESG data fields
• Coordinate supply chain ethical compliance in conjunction with our Head of HR, including SMETA audit management for import suppliers and seasonal labour standards
• Act as the internal expert partner for our Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Cranfield University, currently focused on Fusarium disease management, soil health, and supply chain traceability
• Work with senior management, commercial, and procurement to develop a market‑leading R&D programme, covering sustainable agronomy, new technologies, and innovations that align with customer objectives and deliver business growth
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and use resources more efficiently

• Significant experience in a senior technical role in food manufacturing or fresh produce;
  Site Technical Manager or Head of Technical level, with multi‑retailer exposure essential
• Educated to degree level or equivalent in an Agricultural, Plant Science, or Food Science related discipline
• Working knowledge of agricultural sustainability frameworks, carbon measurement tools, or grower ESG programmes and an understanding of where retailer sustainability requirements are heading
• A proactive, dynamic, change‑oriented leader with the interpersonal skills to persuade and influence across departments and at executive level
• Technically and commercially astute, with the ability to identify and act on business opportunities
• Highly developed understanding of risk and decision‑making, able to…