Technical Manager (Mat Cover)

Technical & Quality Auditor - 1 Year Maternity Cover

Location: Derry/Londonderry
Contract: 1 Year Maternity Cover
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience
Hours: Monday-Friday

The Opportunity:

We are recruiting for a Technical & Quality Auditor to join a successful food manufacturing company in Derry/Londonderry on a 1-year maternity cover contract.

This is a varied Technical role with a major focus on managing and preparing for external audits, alongside responsibility for day-to-day technical and quality management across the site.

We are looking for someone with a strong food technical or quality background who understands the demands of a food manufacturing environment and is confident managing audits, compliance and technical standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the site's technical and quality management systems.
• Lead the preparation for and management of external audits, including BRCGS, customer, regulatory and other third-party audits.
• Act as the key point of contact during external audits and ensure the site is fully prepared.
• Maintain and continuously improve the site's technical and food safety systems.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, BRCGS, GMP, food safety legislation and customer requirements.
• Carry out internal audits and inspections to ensure the site is consistently audit-ready.
• Identify non-conformances and manage corrective and preventative actions through to completion.
• Investigate quality issues, complaints and non-conformances, identifying root causes and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Monitor and review technical documentation, procedures, specifications and records.
• Oversee food safety, hygiene, quality and production standards across the site.
• Work closely with Production and other departments to ensure technical standards are understood and maintained.
• Support customer technical requirements, questionnaires, specifications and compliance documentation.
• Liaise with customers, suppliers, auditors and relevant external bodies where required.
• Monitor changes to legislation, customer requirements and industry standards and ensure the business remains compliant.
• Support continuous improvement and drive a strong culture of food safety and quality throughout the business.

You will ideally have:

• Previous experience in a Technical, Quality Assurance or Food Safety role within food manufacturing.
• Strong experience of external audits, ideally including BRCGS and customer audits.
• Good knowledge of HACCP, GMP, food safety legislation and technical standards.
• Experience managing technical documentation and quality systems.
• The confidence and credibility to take ownership of the Technical function and work closely with Production.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational skills.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to deal confidently with auditors, customers and internal stakeholders.
• A proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• The ability to work under pressure and ensure the site is fully prepared for audits.
• A relevant qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Safety, Quality or a related discipline would be advantageous.

Why Apply?

• 1-year maternity cover contract with an established food manufacturer.
• Significant responsibility across Technical, Quality and Food Safety.
• Major focus on external audit preparation and management.
• Opportunity to take ownership of the technical function.
• Varied role with exposure to customers, auditors and regulatory requirements.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

If you have a strong food technical or quality background and are experienced in managing external audits, we would love to hear from you.