Head of Technical – food manufacturing

Location: Hampshire

£80-100,000 + car allowance + bonus +excellent benefits

A high-growth ambient food manufacturing sites in Hampshire is entering a significant expansion phase and is seeking an experienced Technical Leader to join its senior leadership team.

The business produces a range of branded and private label ambient products for major UK retailers and international markets. Following recent capital investment and with a clear three-year growth strategy in place, the sites are positioned to substantially increase revenue and operational capability.

To support this next stage of development, the Head of Technical is required to lead and evolve the site’s technical and quality agenda.

The role:

This is a senior multi-site leadership role with full accountability for food safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

Key responsibilities include:

Leading all sites Quality & Food Safety Strategy

Ensuring full compliance with BRC standards and all customer Codes of Practice

Acting as the primary contact for retailer technologists, audits and regulatory inspections

Managing the introduction of new product lines from a technical and compliance perspective

Driving continuous improvement across GMP, hygiene, allergen management and pest control Analysing quality and food safety metrics to identify trends and deliver measurable improvement

Generating internal management review documentation and external customer technical reports

Leading technical investigations in partnership with production and engineering

Contributing to Capex discussions, process improvements and equipment selection

Reviewing and optimising the site’s technical structure and resource deployment

The role works closely with NPD, Engineering, Manufacturing, Commercial teams, raw material and packaging suppliers, third-party service providers and customer technical stakeholders.

The person:

We are seeking a technically strong leader with:

Degree qualification in Food Science, Food Technology or a related discipline

Demonstrable experience in a similar technical leadership role within fast-paced food manufacturing, beverages or FMCG

Multi-site experience

Strong practical knowledge of BRC and retailer compliance frameworks

HACCP and Food Safety qualifications (minimum Level 2, ideally advanced)

Experience managing complex retailer technical relationships

Strong analytical capability and data-led decision making

Confidence in challenging existing systems and driving improvement

Ability to operate effectively under tight deadlines and multiple priorities

Excellent stakeholder management across operational and commercial teams

Clear and confident communication at all levels

A structured, logical approach to problem solving

A continuous improvement mindset

Experience within ambient and fresh categories would be advantageous.

Why Consider This Role?

• Senior leadership influence within a growing business
• Significant retailer exposure
• Clear strategic growth trajectory
• Opportunity to shape and modernise the technical systems and agenda
• Long-term career progression potential

This opportunity will suit an ambitious Senior Technical Manager who thrives in a growth environment and wants to play a meaningful role in delivering the next chapter of business performance.

To apply, please email your CV in confidence to kate.hamilton@hprtalent.com