Technical Manager

About the role

Impact the Future of Food Quality:
Lead the charge in managing our ambient product categories and elevating supplier performance. Your expertise will be critical in upholding the renowned Waitrose standards for quality, safety, legality, and integrity. While you'll be the anchor within the Quality, Technical, and Regulatory team, you'll thrive in a collaborative environment, driving results and shaping strategy alongside our broader Own Brand and Commercial Teams.

• Salary - £57,000- £84,600 per annum based on skills and experience
• Contract type - This is a secondment / fixed term position until March 2027
• Working pattern / flexible working - 35 hours per week. The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business.
• Location - Bracknell Head Office with an expectation to travel to suppliers as required and up to 3 days in the office, however flexibility will be required.
• Interviews for this role are looking to be held - End of June / Early July

The successful candidate for this role will be looking after the following areas

• Sweet and Savoury Biscuits
• Home baking
• Canned and packaged

• Manage product and supplier performance in order to ensure compliance to Waitrose quality, safety, legality and integrity and all relevant Brand standards for categories of higher complexity or size to reflect the level of experience of the Technical Manager.
• Deliver the Own Brand Product Plan for the category by supporting the technical elements of all approved projects, and project managing those assigned to technical.
• You will operate in a collaborative matrix way of working across Quality & Technical, Regulatory, Policy & Compliance, Product Innovation, CPG Trading, Marketing, Customer Services, Retail and Ethics & Sustainability to deliver shared KPIs.

• Degree in food science (or similar) or equivalent experience in Technical within the Food & Grocery industry.
• HACCP training (Level
  3), Food Safety training (Level
  3) ideally Lead Assessor.
• At least 5 years recent Technical experience within the food or non food industry.
• Supplier management and technical development.
• Passion for product and quality.
• Specialist training e.g. allergens, microbiology, specification management and product labelling legal requirements.