Technical Product Lead

Job Title: Technical Product Lead

Location: Cornwall

Reporting to: Group Head of Technical

About the Role

The Technical Product Lead plays a central role in ensuring products meet customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and business objectives. Working across multiple functions, the role provides technical leadership throughout the product lifecycle, from supplier approval and product development to customer compliance and ongoing product governance.

This position requires a proactive individual who can balance technical integrity with commercial priorities, build strong stakeholder relationships, and deliver practical solutions within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Customer & Technical Partnership

• Act as the primary technical liaison for customer accounts.
• Manage technical enquiries, quality concerns, investigations, and corrective action programmes.
• Support customer audits, product launches, and technical review activities.
• Ensure customer expectations are translated into compliant and achievable operational requirements.

Product Compliance & Documentation

• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and approval of product specifications, artwork, and technical records.
• Manage product change processes and ensure appropriate governance controls are followed.
• Verify compliance with legal, customer, and internal standards.
• Coordinate product validation activities, including shelf-life and quality assessments where applicable.

Supplier Quality & Sourcing

• Support supplier approval, monitoring, and performance management programmes.
• Conduct compliance assessments and contribute to supplier audit activities.
• Drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers.
• Provide technical input into sourcing decisions, supplier selection, and feasibility evaluations.

Product Development & Project Support

• Contribute technical expertise to new product development, innovation, and product launch projects.
• Coordinate technical deliverables, approvals, and project milestones.
• Collaborate closely with commercial, procurement, operations, and quality teams to ensure successful project execution.
• Assess operational readiness and manufacturing compatibility for new products and initiatives.

Technical Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve technical systems, processes, and ways of working.
• Promote a culture focused on quality, compliance, and practical problem-solving.
• Support the development of efficient and scalable technical governance frameworks.
• Contribute to the ongoing enhancement of product and supplier management processes.

Skills & Experience

• Experience within food manufacturing, quality, technical, specifications, product development, or related disciplines.
• Strong understanding of food safety, product compliance, and retailer requirements.
• Experience managing technical documentation, specifications, and product information.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• A collaborative, adaptable, and solution-focused approach.