We are partnering with a premier food manufacturing group to appoint a driven, resilient senior leader to take full ownership of the Food Safety and Quality platform at a high-volume, multi-retailer BRC rated manufacturing facility.
Sitting as a core member of the Site Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will play a pivotal role in shaping site strategy, safeguarding compliance, and driving operational excellence across a busy, large-scale production environment.
We are looking for an assertive, commercially astute leader who can hold their own on the factory floor and in the boardroom, while fostering a supportive, high-performing culture that retains and develops technical talent.
Key Responsibilities
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Site FS&Q Ownership & Compliance: Maintain full oversight of the site's Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (QMS), ensuring continuous audit readiness and adherence to BRC AA+, HACCP, GMP and statutory regulations.
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Team Leadership & Talent Pipeline: Directly manage a team of four direct reports alongside wider dotted-line departmental staff. Mentor, train, and empower your team to improve retention, build long-term capability, and establish a strong succession pipeline.
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Site SLT & Cross-Functional Influence: Operate as a key voice on the Site SLT, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, NPD, and Health & Safety to embed a proactive food safety culture, sign off on new product specifications, and lead business continuity and risk mitigation plans.
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Customer & External Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary point of contact for major Irish and UK retail customers, third-party auditors, suppliers, and regulatory bodies-protecting customer trust and upholding best-in-class supplier standards.
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Continuous Improvement: Champion root-cause analysis and modern technical solutions that elevate quality performance, reduce operational risk, and drive site efficiencies.
What You Will Bring
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Experience: Proven track record in a senior Technical, Quality, or Food Safety leadership role within a fast-paced retail food manufacturing environment (meat, dairy, seafood, or chilled/protein sectors preferred).
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Retail & Audit Pedigree: Extensive hands-on experience managing BRCGS standards (ideally AA/AA+ grade), HACCP, and complex UK/Irish major retailer codes of practice.
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People Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading, coaching, and developing multi-tiered technical teams, with a focus on staff engagement and building future leaders.
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Gravitas & Resilience: A confident, decisive communicator who thrives in a busy manufacturing setting, capable of influencing peers on the SLT and holding firm on quality standards under commercial pressure.
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Qualifications: Third-level qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline. Lead Auditor (BRC/GFSI/ISO 22000) or Continuous Improvement (Lean/Six Sigma) certifications are advantageous.
Next Steps If you are an established Technical or Quality leader looking for an influential SLT position with a market-leading food producer, apply today with your updated CV for a confidential discussion. We look forward to connecting with you.
