Msc Medical Microbiology jobs in England

Job Overview

The Head of Technical is the senior technical leader on site, responsible for ensuring that all products are safe, legal, authentic, and high quality. This role oversees all technical, quality, food safety, regulatory, compliance activities and hygiene within the manufacturing operation. This will be achieved by monitoring, strengthening and maintaining the company quality assurance and food safety systems, food safety audits, allergen management, HACCP and TACCP with particular emphasis on maintaining accreditation, protecting and growing our business with our customer base. You will provide strategic leadership across the Technical, Quality, and Hygiene functions, ensuring robust compliance with BRCGS, UK food legislation, and customer standards. The Head of Technical is a key member of the site leadership team, driving continuous improvement, landing strategic technical business plans and delivering customer confidence. The Head of Technical is responsible for ensuring that all food products are manufactured to the highest safety, legality, integrity, and quality standards. Leading and developing the site technical team through talent mapping, succession planning and training needs analysis embedded into culture. The Head of Technical executes and enhances the food safety culture with the site Senior Leadership team.

Key Areas of Responsibility and Standards of Performance

Technical Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the site Technical strategy aligned with business, customer, and Group requirements.
• Lead the Technical function across Quality, Compliance, Specifications, and Hygiene.
• Provide expert advice to the senior leadership team on food safety, regulatory change, and technical risks.

Food Safety & Quality Management Systems

• Own the Food Safety & Quality Management System (FSQMS) and ensure it is always audit-ready.
• Ensure all products meet safety, legality, integrity, and quality standards.

HACCP, VACCP & TACCP

• Oversee HACCP, VACCP, and TACCP systems, ensuring correct validation, verification, and compliance.

Customer, Regulatory & Certification Interface

• Act as the primary technical contact for major retail customers, foodservice partners EHO and TSO.
• Lead and host customer audits, technical visits, and third-party certifications (BRCGS, organic, RSPO, Red Tractor, MSC/ASC, etc.).
• Maintain strong relationships with local authorities (EHO, Trading Standards, Environmental Health).

Specifications, Documentation & Compliance

• Ensure customer portals, specifications, and documentation are accurate and up to date.
• Oversee specification creation, artwork approval, and compliance checks.
• Ensure full compliance with UK food legislation, allergen regulations, labelling laws, and industry standards.

Factory Standards, Hygiene & GMP

• Drive exceptional factory standards across hygiene, housekeeping, GMP, allergen control, and environmental monitoring.
• Provide leadership to the Hygiene function, ensuring effective cleaning regimes and verification.

Auditing, Non-Conformance & Corrective Action

• Lead internal auditing programmes and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Lead investigations into non-conformances, complaints, contamination, quality failures, and food safety incidents.
• Implement robust root-cause analysis and ensure effective and sustainable corrective actions.

Traceability & Supplier Assurance

• Maintain strong traceability, mass balance, and supplier assurance processes.
• Approve new suppliers and raw materials in collaboration with Procurement and Group Technical.

New Product Development & Change Management

• Support NPD and commercial teams with concept validation, trial management, and technical sign-off.

Regulatory Change & Risk Management

• Lead site response to legislative changes, customer code of practice changes and emerging industry risks.

People Leadership & Food Safety Culture

• Lead, motivate, and develop the technical team to deliver high performance and a strong food safety culture.
• Build capability through coaching, succession planning, and robust performance management.
• Promote cross-functional working and influence factory-wide adherence to technical standards.
• Management of the site’s food safety culture, to help prevent deviation in the process that impacts the safety, quality and legality of our products.

Performance, KPIs & Reporting

• Drive technical KPIs including audit scores, complaints reduction, microbiology performance, GMP, and right-first-time quality.
• Present technical performance and risk assessments to the Site Leadership and Group Technical Directors.

Health & Safety, Ethical & Social Responsibility:

• Ensure compliance with site Health & Safety policies, UK H&S legislation, and risk assessment requirements.
• Promote a safe working environment by identifying hazards, supporting risk assessments, and implementing control measures.
• Ensure safe systems of work are followed within technical, laboratory, and factory environments.
• Support accident, near-miss, and incident investigations, ensuring root causes and corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensure chemical safety, COSHH compliance, and correct storage and use of cleaning chemicals and laboratory reagents.
• Champion SEDEX/SMETA principles, including worker welfare, ethical trade, and safe working conditions.
• Ensure contractors, visitors, and auditors comply with site H&S and hygiene requirements.
• Actively promote employee engagement, wellbeing, and a positive safety culture

Policies, Procedures & General Responsibilities

• Understand and adhere to Company policies and procedures which are relevant to both the site and the working environment.
• Any other duties as deemed reasonable by your line manager or senior management to assist with the operation of the business.

Pay: £70,000.00-£75,000.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking
• Private medical insurance

Work Location: In person