Technical Manager

Technical Manager - Barking

Salary: circa £40,000 pa

Shift Pattern: Monday - Friday

Hours of Work: 0900 – 1730 (40 hours per week)

At Davin Foods we supply the top 5* hotels in London and the Home Counties, Event Caterers, and we are a key supplier to the Sports and Leisure industry supplying to major sporting events and stadiums, with freshly prepared fruit & vegetables.

Due to our continued growth, we are looking for someone to lead the food technical function at site level, ensuring food manufactured is safe, legal and of the quality required.

This will involve liaising with suppliers, site colleagues and customers on all food technical related matters. Evolving food technical standards to meet BRCGS standards, reviewing and developing the existing Quality Management System.

Accountabilities:

• Safety, quality and legality of all products manufactured on site. Management of company’s Quality Management System including HACCP
• Delivering on technical improvement plans Provide technical support to other departments (e.g. production, NPD, Sales) through education, advice and problem-solving. Leadership, development and supporting of a Quality Assurance team (currently x1 QA Assistant and x1 Technical Assistant), Hygiene Supervisor, and Hygiene team across Day and Night shifts.
• Promoting positive food safety culture within the business.
• Primary technical contact for all customers, suppliers, government led and 3^rd party relationships including certifications and accreditations.
• Monitoring and monthly reporting on company’s performance against KPI’s, reported in a Board report.
• Lead internal and external audits.

Functional Responsibilities:

• Ensure systems are in place to meet current SALSA standard and accreditation bodies, customer and legal requirements.
• Evolve systems to work towards BRC standard.
• Create and manage company’s Technical KPI’s with suitable targets that promotes continuous improvement.
• Ensure they are reviewed regularly and implement corrective actions to address adverse trends or to maintain levels, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Management of direct reports at all levels to ensure sufficient skill coverage across all aspects of the technical function, developing the team.
• Ensure customer complaints are recorded, investigated and corrective actions taken when required, responding to customer complaints and queries in timely manner.
• Manage customer specifications and product information portals and requests.
• Ensure finished products specifications are available for all products.
• Supplier and raw material risk assessment and approval, performance monitoring and reporting. Host customer, EHO, TSO and 3rd party audits and visits as required. Own HACCP and QMS ensuring appropriate review mechanism and suitable document control.
• Manage the internal auditing program, challenging as necessary to improve standards.
• Ensure microbiological testing schedules are in place and met to maintain the company’s due diligence.
• Inspection and monitoring of production team activities and their adherence to food safety-, quality- and legality-related procedures.
• Build and maintain strong and effective relationships with production team, and support where required.
• Participate in regular meetings between technical and production.
• Ensure NPD and recipes approval process is followed accordingly for all new products.
• Provide relevant training associated with food safety, quality and legality to the staff.
• senior management meetings on site.

KPIs and Measurements:

• Customers complaints and feedback
• Product recalls and withdrawals
• Customers and third-party audits feedback
• Out of specification products report
• Site compliance to customer, standards / certifications
• Completing tasks within agreed timescales

To be successful in your application, we are looking for:

• Higher education qualification in a food or science-based subject. Food safety level 3 / 4. HACCP level 3 / 4
• Minimum 2 years in food industry, preferably high care/high risk manufacturing (chilled food / fresh produce)”
• Min 1 year people management experience.

Benefits:

• Annual pay reviews.
• 20 days annual holiday plus Bank Holidays increasing by 3 days after 2 years’ service.
• Health care
• Cash Plan membership.