Department: TechnicalLocation: BallymenaDirect Reports: QA AuditorsAbout the RoleWe are seeking a motivated and experienced Food Safety & Quality Manager to lead food safety, quality and compliance activity within our production environment at Pilgrim's Europe, Ballymena.This is a key technical leadership role, responsible for ensuring products consistently meet customer, legal and company requirements, while driving strong performance against food safety and quality KPIs. You will lead quality systems, support new product development, manage audits and develop the QA team to deliver best-in-class food safety and quality standards.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, implement, maintain and continuously improve a HACCP-based Quality Management System, ensuring full due diligence and complianceCoordinate and lead HACCP team activitiesEnsure compliance with BRC, customer, third-party and legislative requirementsSupport NPD and process development through specifications, artwork verification, shelf-life, reference samples and use-by schedulesMonitor cleaning, hygiene and housekeeping standards through factory audits, trend analysis and action planningManage corrective actions and control of non-conforming ingredients and finished product, including holds, rejects and returnsOversee microbiological, shelf-life and chemical testing programmes, identifying trends and driving corrective and preventative actionsManage customer complaints, investigations, serious incidents and follow-up actionsDevelop, maintain and test the site Crisis Management SystemMaintain site accreditations and implement additional standards required by customers or industry best practiceProduce daily, weekly and monthly quality KPI reporting for operations teamsProvide insight-led information to support problem-solving and continuous improvementLiaise with customers and statutory bodies during audits and site visits, ensuring effective responses and close-out of actionsLead, coach and develop QA Auditors in line with Pilgrim's Europe standards and expectationsPromote a culture of engagement, accountability and effective communicationSupport training and development to build capability and resilience within the teamManage performance, attendance and appraisals in line with company requirementsLead by example in Health & Safety compliance and safe systems of workEnsure COSHH assessments, risk assessments, training and incident investigations are completed and actionedMaintain high standards of hygiene and housekeeping across all areasActively work to reduce environmental impact through waste, energy and carbon-reduction initiativesWhat We're Looking ForExperience in a technical or quality leadership role within FMCG food manufacturingStrong knowledge of HACCP, BRC standards, food legislation and food hygieneAuditing experience with strong report-writing capabilityExcellent communication, organisational and stakeholder-management skillsProven people leadership and development experienceThird-level qualification in a relevant disciplineAdvanced Diploma in Applied HACCPAdvanced Food Hygiene qualificationProject management or continuous improvement experienceExperience working directly with customers, auditors and regulatory bodiesValues & BehavioursDemonstrates ownership, integrity and determination, working collaboratively with discipline and humility to deliver practical results.Why Join Pilgrim's Europe?Play a critical role in protecting food safety, quality and brand reputationWork in a technically challenging, fast-paced manufacturing environmentLead and develop a skilled Quality teamDrive real, measurable improvements through continuous improvementCompetitive reward package and development opportunities within a leading European food businessInterested?If you're passionate about food safety, quality excellence and leading teams to deliver consistently high standards, we would welcome your application.Apply now to join Pilgrim's Europe as Food Safety & Quality Manager and make a meaningful impact at our Ballymena site.The companyPilgrim's Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland, including Fridge Raiders, Rollover, Denny, Richmond, Oakhouse and Moy Park, alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork, lamb and chicken, working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals, snacking ranges, added value and food service products.Across Pilgrim's Europe we combine 20,000 of the best people in the industry, united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality, most delicious and innovative food, which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK, Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrim's Europe team are based in our Pilgrim's UK, Moy Park, Pilgrim's Food Masters and Pilgrim's Shared Services businesses. To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process, click the Apply button below to Login/Register.WHJS1_NI