Technical Manager Jobs

Avara Foods

Location:
United Kingdom, Wednesbury

Category:
Manufacturing

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Not provided

Save Job

Apply Position

Job Description:

The Technical Manager will provide strategic leadership for the site Technical function, ensuring strong performance in food safety, quality, legality and customer expectations. As a key member of both the Site Senior Management Team and the wider Avara Technical community, the Technical Manager will set direction, ensure operational delivery through effective leadership, and act as the primary technical interface for customers, regulators, and auditors. The role ensures the integrity and continuous improvement of the site Quality Management System (QMS), oversees food safety risk management, and champions Avara’s Food Safety & Quality Culture across all departments.

Job Responsibility:

Provide clear strategic direction for the site Technical function, ensuring resources, capability and structure support business needs
Lead, coach and develop the Lead Quality Manager to build a high-performing, future-ready technical leadership pipeline
Lead, coach and develop the Quality Systems Manager and Hygiene Manager
Maintain clear visibility of the development, performance and support needs of the Quality Managers, ensuring the Lead QM has the direction, coaching and resources needed to develop them effectively
Ensure consistent application of HR processes, including absence, grievance and disciplinary procedures
Promote a strong Food Safety & Quality Culture, ensuring expectations are visible, understood and embedded across all functions
Actively contribute as part of the Site Senior Management Team to deliver site performance, budget, and continuous improvement objectives
Provide strategic oversight of the site Quality Management System, ensuring compliance with Avara QMS, legal requirements, and customer standards
Lead customer, certification and regulatory audits (e.g., BRCGS, Red Tractor, retailer audits), ensuring high standards of preparation and delivery
Ensure the Lead QM and Quality Systems Manager maintain internal audit schedules, CAPA effectiveness, and timely close-out of non-conformances
Chair or actively participate in HACCP and Food Safety Team meetings and ensure food safety risks are proactively identified, assessed and controlled
Review site performance data (audit trends, KPIs, micro, complaints, non-conformances) to identify systemic issues and drive long-term improvements
Ensure robust monitoring and verification systems are in place to maintain legal and customer compliance across site operations
Provide Operations teams with strategic technical guidance to ensure product safety, integrity, quality, and customer requirements are consistently achieved
Oversee the investigation of significant product, process or customer issues, ensuring root causes are properly addressed and preventative actions embedded
Lead the escalation, management and communication of serious food safety, integrity or quality risks
Own the technical functional budget, ensuring cost-effective management of laboratory testing, pest control, hygiene contracts, waste, packaging specifications, and other technical services
Act as the primary technical contact for retailer technical managers, Avara Commercial teams and regulatory authorities
Build strong, transparent relationships with customers, ensuring trust, confidence, and proactive communication, particularly during visits, audits and issue resolution
Ensure external service providers (pest control, laundry, hygiene, lab services) perform to contracted standards and support continuous improvement
Serve as the senior site liaison for enforcement bodies (Environmental Health, APHA, Trading Standards, OV/Official Controls partners)
Ensure all product, packaging and ingredient specifications are approved, accurate and aligned with customer requirements
Provide senior technical governance over NPD/EPD activities, ensuring safe, controlled introduction of new products, ingredients and processes
Support Management of Change processes ensuring technical risks are assessed and controls agreed before implementation

Requirements:

Food-related HND (or equivalent)
Intermediate Food Safety (Level 3)
Intermediate HACCP (Level 3)
Internal auditing qualification
Experience of BRCGS or ISO 9001/9000 standards
Proven experience in a leadership role within a food manufacturing environment
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
Proactive problem-solving ability
Current full driving licence

Nice to have:

Food-related degree
Advanced HACCP (Level 4)
Advanced Food Safety (Level 4)
Lead Auditor qualification
Experience of major UK retailers
Knowledge of environmental compliance in a food manufacturing setting
Negotiation and influencing skill

What we offer:

33 Days Holiday
6% Pension
Life Insurance
Various lifestyle benefits, including wellbeing resources and shopping perks and discounts

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
December 06, 2025

Employment Type:

Fulltime

Work Type:

On-site work

View All Jobs In This Company

Job Link Share:

Technical Manager