Overview
Technical Manager
Humdinger, Sherburn-in-Elmet
Are you passionate about food safety, quality, and continuous improvement? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy leading teams to deliver excellence?
We're looking for a Technical Manager to join our Sherburn site and lead our Technical and Hygiene functions. As Technical Manager, you'll be responsible for ensuring compliance with BRC, retailer, and legal standards, while driving best practice across food safety, hygiene, and quality systems. You'll lead a team including QA, Compliance and Hygiene and play a key role in customer relationships, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Responsibilities
* Lead site compliance with HACCP, TACCP, VACCP, and customer codes of practice
* Manage internal audits, non-conformance investigations, and root cause analysis
* Oversee hygiene standards and cleaning validation
* Act as technical lead for customer visits and audits
* Support product launches and ensure alignment with QAS and specifications
* Drive technical KPIs and present insights to senior stakeholders
* Collaborate cross-functionally with production, operations, and commercial teams
* Champion continuous improvement and technical innovation
Full job description available upon request.
Qualifications
* Substantial experience in technical, quality, and hygiene management within food manufacturing
* Strong working knowledge of UK retailer standards (e.g. M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's)
* Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams in a results-driven environment
* Confident in managing audits and implementing corrective actions
* Comfortable using digital tools and systems to manage technical processes
* A collaborative, resilient, and solutions-focused approach
* Food science qualification (HNC/D or degree-level equivalent)
* Level 4 HACCP and Food Safety (or equivalent)
* Training or experience in Food Threat Analysis (TACCP/VACCP)
Rewards Benefits
* Competitive salary
* Annual bonus plan of up to 10% of salary
* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
* 4% employer pension contributions and Life Assurance at 4x basic salary
* Health Care Cash Plan via Paycare (includes dental, optical, therapy, counselling)
* Access to Paycare Perks for high street and retailer discounts
* Holiday Purchase Scheme – buy up to one extra week per year
* Cycle to Work Scheme and Electric Car Scheme (salary sacrifice, subject to criteria)
* Family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave
* Annual calendar of engagement and wellbeing activities
* Opportunity to support your local community with one paid volunteering/fundraising day per year
* Access to staff shop discounts
* Monthly employee recognition awards
* Refer a Friend recruitment rewards
* Ongoing training and development opportunities
* Support from GroceryAid
About Us
Humdinger's Sherburn-in-Elmet site is a fast-growing confectionery facility producing over 5,000 tonnes of chocolate and snacking products annually. With advanced technologies including belt coating, button manufacture, drop rolling, and hard panning, the site supports a diverse customer base across retail, third-party, and B2B channels. The site offers a dynamic environment where technical leadership plays a pivotal role in driving quality, compliance, and innovation.
Application & Interview Process
Please apply online and ensure all application questions are completed. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a phone screening, followed by a two-stage interview process, which includes a site visit and factory tour.
Humdinger is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Please let us know if you require any special arrangements or adjustments to be made for your interview by speaking with the Talent Acquisition team at application stage. The provision of this information is likely to include special category data and is therefore covered by data protection laws. We ask for this information so that we are fully aware of any adjustments needed and we will use the information provided to inform our decisions about making those changes.