Quality Assurance Manager

Cranswick Gourmet Kitchen is supplying high-quality cooked products to a number of market-leading customers. The goal of our food manufacturing site, Cranswick Gourmet Kitchen, is to produce quality cooked food for market-leading customers. As a team, we aim to create a culture where everything we do is to the highest possible standard, and we are looking for like-minded individuals to be a part of this.

Our guiding principles set out the values that unite and inspire our people to deliver our purpose - to feed the nation with authentically made, sustainably produced food. This is delivered by our hard-working, talented teams who continually drive the business forward.

We are currently looking for a Quality Assurance Manager to join our team on a full time basis working Monday to Friday. The successful candidate will lead the Quality Assurance team and provide day-to-day technical management across the factory, ensuring products are manufactured safely, legally and to the required quality standards. The role is responsible for developing QA capability, maintaining audit readiness and supporting operational teams to deliver customer and business requirements through a strong food safety and quality culture.

The main duties of the role include

• Lead, manage and develop the Quality Assurance team, ensuring appropriate factory coverage, effective workload allocation and clear accountability across all shifts.
• Provide visible day-to-day technical leadership within manufacturing areas, ensuring product safety, legality, quality and integrity requirements are consistently maintained.
• Ensure all factory activities comply with the site Quality Management System, relevant legislation, customer requirements, retailer Codes of Practice and applicable food safety standards.
• Manage the completion and effectiveness of routine QA activities, including GMP audits, process verification, traceability checks, taste and quality assessments, paperwork reviews and product release controls.
• Monitor technical and quality performance against agreed KPIs, identifying adverse trends and coordinating appropriate corrective and preventative action.
• Support Operations, Hygiene and Engineering teams with root cause analysis and the implementation of robust corrective and preventative actions.
• Maintain oversight of food safety controls, including HACCP requirements, allergen controls, foreign-body controls, temperature management, hygiene standards and segregation procedures

(A full job description is available upon request)

Requirements, experience and person specification

• Good working knowledge of food safety, quality, legality and integrity requirements within a chilled food-manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of factory-based Quality Management Systems and practical QA controls.
• Understanding of HACCP principles, food safety risk assessment, allergen management and microbiological controls.
• Understanding of GMP, internal auditing, corrective action, root cause analysis and preventative action.
• Ability to work flexibly to support production requirements, technical incidents and audits.

Desirable Competencies

• Formal qualification in food science, food technology, microbiology or a related discipline.
• HACCP Level 3 or above.
• Food Safety Level 3 or above.
• Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor qualification.
• Training or experience in root cause analysis techniques.
• Working knowledge of BRCGS Food Safety and major retailer requirements.
• Experience within a chilled, ready-to-eat or high-care food-manufacturing environment.

What we offer

• Training and career development
• Friendly work environment
• Pension package
• Access to our 'Feed your Wellbeing' hub, offering a range of retail, restaurant and entertainment discounts and wellbeing support
• Opportunity to purchase an extra holiday
• Company share scheme
• Death in service insurance
• Additional holiday with service

We are always looking for individuals who share our company values, so if you feel like you would be a good fit, please get in touch with us.

This is a fantastic opportunity for stable, permanent employment for the right person, so if you think you have what it takes or would like to find out more, we would love to hear from you.

Salary to be discussed at the interview

If you are interested in this position, please submit your CV and covering letter to: [email protected]

Closing Date: 2nd November 2026.

Internal applicants must make their line manager aware before applying