Site Head of Technical

About the Role

We are recruiting for an experienced Head of Technical to lead the full technical, food safety and compliance agenda for a high‑volume meat manufacturing site. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for shaping technical strategy, driving standards, and ensuring the site consistently meets customer, retailer and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will be a confident technical leader with deep experience in red meat and/or poultry, strong retailer engagement skills, and a proven track record of delivering audit excellence in fast‑paced FMCG environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the site Technical, Quality and Food Safety functions, ensuring full compliance with BRCGS, retailer COPs (Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, M&S), and all legal requirements.

• Own and develop the site Technical Strategy, driving continuous improvement and embedding a strong food safety culture.

• Lead and mentor the Technical, QA and Hygiene teams, building capability and high‑performing behaviours.

• Oversee HACCP, VACCP/TACCP, allergen management, micro standards, and all technical risk assessments.

• Manage customer relationships, hosting audits and visits with major UK retailers and foodservice partners.

• Ensure robust systems are in place for traceability, specifications, labelling, CCP validation, and incident management.

• Drive improvements in GMP, hygiene, and factory standards across high‑care and high‑risk areas.

• Lead internal audit programmes and ensure the site is audit‑ready at all times.

• Work closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD and Supply Chain to support safe, efficient and compliant production.

• Manage departmental budgets and technical KPIs, ensuring effective reporting and governance.

Key Requirements

• Proven experience as a Head of Technical, Technical Manager, or senior technical leader within meat manufacturing.

• Strong knowledge of BRCGS, retailer COPs, HACCP Level 4, and food safety legislation.

• Experience in high‑care / high‑risk environments (red meat, poultry, ready‑to‑cook or ready‑to‑eat).

• Excellent leadership skills with experience managing multi‑disciplinary technical teams.

• Strong customer‑facing capability with confidence hosting audits and presenting technical information.

• Ability to influence at all levels and drive site‑wide improvements.

• A proactive, structured and commercially aware approach to technical management.

What’s on Offer

• Senior leadership role with full site ownership

• Opportunity to shape technical strategy and drive standards

• Strong progression potential within a growing food manufacturing group

• Competitive salary + benefits package