Food Safety & Quality Manager

The Vacancy

Food Safety & Quality Manager Fixed Term Contract
Location: Anwick
Shift Pattern: 223-12 hour days 6am to 18:00

Are you passionate about food safety, quality excellence, and leading high-performing teams? We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Food Safety & Quality Manager to play a key role in ensuring our products consistently meet customer, legal, and industry-leading standards.

Working closely with production and operational teams, you will provide technical leadership across the factory, driving continuous improvement, maintaining robust quality systems, and ensuring the highest standards of food safety are upheld.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all technical and food safety activities across designated production areas and shifts.
• Manage and continuously improve HACCP-based Quality Management Systems in line with BRC, customer, legislative, and industry requirements.
• Support successful launches of new products and processes through specification management, product information, reference samples, and validation activities.
• Monitor factory hygiene, housekeeping, and cleaning standards through regular audits and trend analysis.
• Drive corrective and preventative actions relating to non-conforming products, customer complaints, microbiological results, and quality incidents.
• Analyse technical data and trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop Technical teams, ensuring high levels of performance and engagement.
• Participate in internal auditing programmes and support external customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.
• Manage serious incidents, product holds, rejections, and crisis management activities.
• Oversee water quality management and environmental compliance initiatives.
• Provide technical guidance, training, and support across all departments.
• Build strong relationships with customers, auditors, regulatory authorities, and internal stakeholders.

Essential

• Experience within a food manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Previous auditing experience.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, quality systems, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven leadership and people management experience.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience writing reports, procedures, and technical documentation.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and highly organised.

Desirable

• Degree or equivalent qualification in a Food Science, Technical, or related discipline.
• Advanced knowledge of HACCP, BRCGS Standards, Food Hygiene, and Food Legislation.
• Advanced Diploma in Applied HACCP Principles.
• Advanced Food Hygiene qualification.
• Internal Auditor qualification.
• Experience in project management, training, and coaching.
• Demonstrated experience managing customer relationships and external stakeholders.

Why Join Us?

This is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. You'll have the opportunity to lead technical excellence, influence business-wide improvements, and help deliver safe, high-quality products to customers while developing your career within a progressive and supportive organisation.

Our Story

Pilgrim's Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland, including Fridge Raiders, Rollover, Denny, Richmond, Oakhouse and Moy Park, alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork, lamb and chicken, working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.

Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals, snacking ranges, added value and food service products.

Across Pilgrim's Europe we combine 20,000 of the best people in the industry, united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality, most delicious and innovative food, which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK, Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrim's Europe team are based in our Pilgrim's UK, Moy Park, Pilgrim's Food Masters and Pilgrim's Shared Services businesses.

Rewards & Benefits

Competitive Salary

Competitive Holiday Entitlement

Pension Contribution

Family Friendly Policies

Learning and Development Opportunities

Life Assurance