Accountable for ensuring the technical integrity of the Sites and compliance to relevant legal retailer and corporate technical standards.  Contribute to the development of the overall Business plan and other appropriate technical policies. Drive and achieve change in this context.  Influence Colleagues to deliver functional KPI’s to levels required.  Protect the integrity of the materials delivered to the Site and to the customer working with all functions to ensure technical excellence.  Matrix management and Leadership of the Sites Technical population.

To provide inspirational leadership to the site technical teams and ensure we demonstrate a leading-edge position in these fields to our customers.

• Provide technical leadership for the Naas and Longford sites and to ensure effective quality management systems are in place to guarantee both food safety and legal compliance at Birdseye Pizza sites
• Liaise with key technical people in delivering the right quality product to customers – own label and branded
• Responsibility for the management and implementation of BRC and other customer manufacturing standards, policies and compliance requirements
• To ensure customer focus is managed and all requirements in relation to customer compliance is managed to an industry leading standard  
• To define, lead and implement programmes to deliver the Company and Group Technical Strategy which gives Naas & Longford sites a competitive advantage
• To deliver continual positive change to the business by the application of best technical practice, technology, science and innovation

Food Safety and Quality Management:

• Designs, manages and reviews process to deliver and continuously improve the Companies food safety and quality management system
• Actively co-ordinates and engages others to deliver
• Awareness and implementation of legal requirements, codes of practice etc.
• Participates fully on any crisis management group involving goods and technical services
• Delivers technical data collection services that allow us to respond by exception and trend performance to direct our energies in to worthwhile change programmes
• Develops supplier and customer relationships in alignment with our business goals

Compliance:

• Manage all aspects of Food safety and quality across the Naas & Longford sites
• BRC and customer manufacturing standards to be fully implemented and managed to leading industry standards
• Customer focus is at the heart of all activities and all customer policies and required KPI’s are met in a timely fashion
• Explores opportunities and capitalises on internal and external advances to benefit the application of compliancy within the business
• Ensures the business compliance strategies are implemented and aligned with group and statutory directives

Product and Raw Material Expertise:

• Uses knowledge of equipment, recipes, ingredients and processes that improves performance or margin
• Understands key ingredients and their role in the various conversion processes and advises on value analysis and usage optimisation
• Defines activities which are required to ensure compliance with relevant COP’s
• Communicates cost saving opportunities and identifies links to other business groups
• Influence and help define group strategy in response to global ingredient and packaging materials development
• Support programmes of work to deliver process improvements and cost savings
• Supports supplier engagement programmes that allow us to grow our competencies through best use of our supplier’s knowledge

Data and Knowledge Management:

• Communicates technical information with conviction and authority to meet the needs of the target audience

Essential

• Degree level qualification in Food Science
• Minimum of 5 years practicing as Quality/technical Manager within the Food sector
• Previous experience of representing a company on external bodies and committees
• Extensive experience in leading teams and implementing successful continuous improvement programmes
• Working knowledge of retail practices
• Knowledge and understanding of BRC standards
• Knowledge and understanding of main UK retailer Own Label requirements
• Track record of driving technical strategy across a food business
• Inspirational leader
• Challenges and is restless in the status quo
• Inquisitive and enquiring
• Demands and earns respect from colleagues, customers and suppliers
• Commercially interprets the technical agenda
• Delivers change through his/her staff

Desirable

• Technical relationship with UK Multiples
• Is able to influence effectively across the matrix to drive business performance