Interim Technical Manager

The role

The Site Technical Manager will lead and champion a strong food safety and quality culture across the site, ensuring standards are embedded across both technical and operational teams. You will be accountable for ensuring compliance with customer, retailer, and certification requirements, while supporting the delivery of customer, brand, and business objectives.

This role sits as part of the site leadership team and works closely with operations, commercial, and central technical functions.

Key responsibilities

Leadership and management

• Lead and promote cross-functional ownership of food safety and quality across the site
• Provide clear leadership and direction to the technical function
• Contribute to site technical strategy, vision, and continuous improvement
• Lead technical response during product incidents and recalls
• Act as a member of the site senior leadership team and technical leadership forum
• Lead and maintain HACCP systems, including review and evolution
• Coach, mentor, and develop technical capability across the site

Standards and compliance

• Drive a risk-based approach to food safety management
• Ensure compliance with customer policies, retailer codes of practice, and external certifications
• Set, embed, and validate GMP and factory standards through training and audit
• Manage the internal audit programme to drive improvements in standards and quality
• Ensure effective management of incidents, recalls, and traceability
• Lead data-driven investigations with clear root cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions
• Maintain and challenge prerequisite programmes
• Own and maintain the QMS and food safety systems in line with BRC and retailer standards
• Lead day-to-day management of BRC and retailer audits, including close-out of non-conformances
• Support and challenge co-packers to meet accreditation and customer requirements
• Manage external laboratory testing programmes for raw materials and products
• Oversee allergen management, risk assessment, verification, and validation
• Manage site hygiene standards, GMP audits, non-conformances, and concessions
• Ensure effective investigation, communication, and reporting of customer complaints
• Validate and verify shelf-life parameters for new and existing products

Quality systems and KPIs

• Measure, trend, and report performance against internal and customer KPIs
• Ensure the QMS evolves in line with customer requirements, industry standards, and technical developments

Customer and stakeholder management

• Lead all technical aspects of customer visits and audits
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with customers
• Develop and deliver robust customer quality plans
• Ensure customer complaints and technical queries are managed effectively
• Work closely with commercial and operational teams to manage customer requests

About you

Qualifications and experience

• Degree or equivalent in Food Science or a related discipline
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in FMCG or a similar manufacturing environment
• Strong experience leading technical teams
• Experience working with retailer quality systems
• BRC audit and compliance experience

Skills and personal qualities

• A credible and confident people leader
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong relationship-building capability
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Solutions-focused with strong problem-solving skills
• Passionate about developing people and building capability
• Up-to-date knowledge of food safety, quality, and consumer trends
• Resilient, driven, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment

If this sounds like the right fit for your next career move, I’d love to speak with you!

Or click “Apply Now” to be considered for this vacancy.

The Advocate Group is a leading recruitment partner, based in the UK, to the FMCG and consumer product sectors. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

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