Quality Assurance

£12.71 an hour + holiday pay for first two weeks training - once completed rate  increases to £13.41  an hour + holiday pay.
Reporting to the Operations Manager, the QA will be responsible for overseeing all quality assurance functions across the business. This role is critical in ensuring product integrity, food safety compliance, traceability, and continuous improvement from raw material intake through to finished product dispatch.
The successful candidate will provide support to the QA team, drive compliance with customer requirements, and work closely with production, operations, growers, and suppliers to maintain and continually improve quality systems and standards.
Quality Assurance & Compliance
Support raw material quality standards, including supplier compliance, inspections, approvals, and ongoing performance monitoring.
Oversee finished product quality to ensure customer specifications and quality requirements are consistently achieved.
Maintain and continuously improve food safety and quality management systems, including HACCP, GMP, and customer-specific standards.
Ensure compliance with all food safety, legal, regulatory, and customer requirements.
Auditing & Traceability
Plan, conduct, and close out internal audits.
Maintain and support external audits conducted by customers, certification bodies, including BRCGS, Red Tractor, and retailer audits.
Maintain product traceability and traceback exercises to ensure full supply chain visibility and compliance.
Maintain accurate quality documentation, records, and reporting systems.
Continuous Improvement
Analyse quality and production data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
Investigate non-conformances, customer complaints, and quality incidents, implementing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Collaborate with production and operations teams to resolve quality issues and improve operational performance.
Monitor quality KPIs and drive initiatives that enhance product quality, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.
Essential
Strong knowledge of food safety systems, HACCP, GMP, quality standards, and audit requirements.
Demonstrated experience managing traceability systems and conducting traceback investigations.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root cause investigation skills.
Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities.
Confident communicator with the ability to work effectively across multiple departments and stakeholders.
Proficient in Microsoft Office and quality management systems.
Desirable
Experience working within fresh produce, agriculture, or other highly seasonal production environments.
Internal Auditor qualification.
Knowledge of BRCGS, Red Tractor, retailer standards, and customer audit requirements.
Experience using ERP/WMS systems.
Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives and quality projects.