Quality Manager – Fixed Term Contract (Maternity Cover)

Location: Manchester, UK (Head Office)

Contract: Fixed Term – Starting July 2026

Department: Technical

Reporting to: Head of Technical

The Opportunity

We are delighted to be recruiting on behalf of a well-established and growing manufacturing business for an experienced Quality Manager to join their Technical team on a fixed-term basis to cover maternity leave. This is an excellent opportunity for a quality professional to take ownership of food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality management systems within a dynamic and collaborative environment.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring that products meet the highest standards of safety, legality, and quality, while also supporting continuous improvement and cross-functional initiatives across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Quality & Food Safety

• Lead and manage the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with all relevant food safety standards.
• Oversee laboratory activities and global testing programmes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all products and processes comply with applicable global legislation and labelling requirements.
• Monitor regulatory changes and provide guidance to internal stakeholders.

New Product Development

• Provide technical leadership for new product development projects.
• Ensure formulations are stable, compliant, and aligned with customer expectations.
• Collaborate closely with Innovation and Project teams.

Supplier & Stakeholder Management

• Manage supplier approval processes, including remote and on-site audits.
• Act as the key technical liaison with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Support supplier onboarding and performance improvement where required.

Auditing & Certifications

• Lead internal and supplier audits and ensure adherence to QMS standards across affiliated manufacturing sites.
• Prepare for and manage regulatory inspections.

Customer Complaints & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee the customer and consumer complaints process, including root cause analysis and implementation of reduction strategies.
• Provide data-driven insights through KPIs and technical reporting.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a quality and compliance team.
• Set priorities, manage workloads, and support employee development and engagement.

Crisis Management

• Ensure robust crisis management procedures are in place and regularly tested (e.g., product recalls or withdrawals).
• Conduct urgent supplier visits where high-risk issues are identified.

Business & Cross-Functional Support

• Provide technical expertise to departments including supply chain, operations, customer services, sales, and finance.
• Develop relationships with external organisations such as regulatory authorities, consultants, and testing laboratories.
• Act as deputy to the Head of Technical during periods of absence.

Candidate Profile

Education & Qualifications

• HACCP Level 4 certification (essential).
• Degree in Food Science or a related discipline (desirable).
• Additional training in nutrition or related areas would be advantageous.

Experience

• 3–5 years’ experience in a technical or quality leadership role within a food manufacturing environment.
• Proven expertise in food safety systems and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing audits and regulatory inspections.
• Strong understanding of product development processes within the FMCG sector.

Technical Skills

• In-depth knowledge of quality management systems and laboratory testing.
• Familiarity with ERP and quality management software.
• Strong IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality and manufacturing processes is advantageous.

Personal Attributes

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective communicator with strong stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail and confident decision-making.
• Comfortable managing conflict and challenging performance where necessary.
• Proactive approach to personal learning and continuous improvement.