DEPARTMENT: Technical

REPORTS TO: Factory Technical Manager

ABOUT US:

We are a fast-paced food manufacturing business, specialising in producing ready meals for a wide range of customers. Operating from a large-scale factory environment, we are committed to delivering high-quality, safe, and delicious products. The successful candidate will predominantly support low care production areas but also support other area within training, ensuring compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health and safety standards.

ROLE OVERVIEW:**

• To ensure that a high standard of product safety, legality and quality is maintained in the factory.
• To lead and develop a team of Quality Assurance technicians and supervisors with the main purpose of providing support to completion of all relevant and required tasks that lead to ensuring products meet the agreed specifications.
• Line management of QA technologists, ensuring adequate support is in place to allow for completion of all relevant/required tasks

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• To liaise with internal and external stakeholders; raise, manage and trend non-conformances as appropriate and set high standard of corrective/ preventative actions to lead to an overall reduction in product related issues and site performance.
• Ensure all investigations and associated reports related to product issues are completed on time to the right detail and outcomes are communicated across to relevant parties.
• Ensuring that the company’s quality systems are fully compliant with current standards and customer requirements.
• To support Customer and Third party Audits
• Ensure the traceability schedule is adhered to and site processes are challenged
• Helps to develop expertise across the site, fully understanding the processes and constraints, to continuously improve food safety, legality and quality compliance across the site, in conjunction with other members of the operations team.
• Leads independent projects as and when the need arises, ensuring that all company, legislative, customer and 3rd party accreditation body standards are considered.
• Undertake such ad-hoc duties as maybe required to benefit the business
• To always act in the best interest of the Oscar Mayer Business
• Ensure the culture of continuous improvement is maintained and developed throughout the factory
• Support the company’s risk management strategy and food safety culture
• Ensure effective lines of communication are in place within the Technical Department and across the business.
• Ensure that all necessary systems (e.g. Olympus, Sartorius, Metal Detectors) are updated ahead of product launches
• Manage the completion of customer complaint investigations

SPECIFIC KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:

1. TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Is responsible for the recruitment and training of the Quality Assurance Team and Food Safety Team
• Manages and motivates Quality Assurance and intake team on all levels, coaching and encouraging them to achieve results which meet targets and objectives, and support the company values (i.e. right first time).
• Develops the Quality Assurance and Intake team, ensures that they are fully trained and competent to carry out all required duties. Conducts performance management, investigations and disciplinaries in conjunction with the HR department as required
• Creates a positive environment where team members value each other’s differences and work together effectively
• Identifies when team members need support and provides / facilitates it
• Encourages personal growth within a supportive and honest culture
• Gives responsibility to others and trusts them to deliver, whilst maintaining a ‘watching brief’
• Actively promotes team success and provides praise and recognition where it is due

2. QUALITY DELIVERY

• Works with and through others to achieve standards of customer service internally and externally
• Develops and sets challenging standards for individual and team performance on customer service
• Monitors KPIs and takes necessary corrective actions
• Publicly monitors performance and holds self and team accountable for providing agreed service levels of quality, value and service
• Provides a consistent and constructive environment / approach even under pressure
• Considers feasibility of alternative solutions

3. TECHNICAL SYSTEMS

• Conducts and manages completion of raw material and finished product related investigations, traceability, complaints as and when required
• Provides technical knowledge and expertise where required in regards to food safety, microbiology, legality, standards and requirements.
• Constructs and completes reports and responses to customer’s and stakeholders inquiries as required, closing them out in a timely manner
• Completes periodic trend analysis for KPI’s in form of reports and presentations to varied teams
• Create and maintain required systems and associated procedures/ paperwork to ensure compliance with legal and customer requirements for food manufacturing, dept. health and safety and environment
• Collate and verify site allergen/ segregation controls, auditing and improving when required
• Sets effective communication channels for daily, weekly, monthly quarterly and biannual reports, within and outside the team.
• Provides advise and drives improvement in the areas of technical expertise
• Participate in pre-production trials, trialling of new machinery for food processing and improving production processes
• Involvement in factory day-to-day monitoring and improvement projects

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Excellent communication skills as a customer and supplier facing role
• Great organisational skills, skilled at time management
• Good standard of written English and Numeracy
• Ability to generate and interpret statistical data
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Good IT skills- data entry, report writing (graphs & charts) and photography will be required
• Ability to efficiently manage, motivate and develop a team
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing role conditions and requirements
• Ability to work to deadlines with good project management and organisational skills