*At Pret, We Believe in Growing Good Things.*
Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand-made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths.
The Role
The Senior Food Safety Manager is responsible for ensuring that all food products and operations meet Pret's food safety standards and comply with relevant legislation. This role plays a key part in maintaining brand integrity and supporting operational excellence whilst delighting our customers with freshly made food. This includes developing and continuously improving food safety policies, overseeing microbiological and allergen surveillance programs, and ensuring that testing protocols are robust and results are acted upon. In addition, the role oversees global food safety audit programs across both equity and franchise operations, ensuring consistency in performance and continuous improvement.
The Senior Food Safety Manager works closely with Pret's safety, technical and compliance functions and external stakeholders to proactively manage food safety risks and drive continuous improvement.
Responsibilities
* Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of food safety standards across all markets, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
* Define and maintain global food safety policies and procedures ensuring they are science-based, risk-informed, and practically applicable across global markets.
* Lead Pret's microbiological and allergen surveillance programs, ensuring regular testing is conducted and results are reviewed, reported, and acted upon.
* Work alongside technical teams to follow up on food safety related non-compliances, ensuring robust corrective actions plans are in place closed out.
* Lead global food safety risk assessments and support rapid response to incidents, recalls, or regulatory challenges, ensuring effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.
* Oversee global food safety audit programs, including third-party and internal audits, and ensure timely resolution of non-conformances across all business units.
* Ensure consistent food safety performance across both company-owned (equity) and franchised operations, adapting approaches to suit different operating models while maintaining high standards.
* Support the development of food safety training for shop teams to ensure consistent understanding and application of standards.
* Collaborate with the compliance team to support food technical & safety reviews, ensuring food safety documentation and practices are audit-ready at all times.
* Stay informed of changes in food safety legislation and emerging risks, advising the business and updating policies accordingly.
* Tracking quarterly KPIs, identifying risks, driving continuous improvement and reporting internally.
* Responsible for maintaining a network to "bring the outside in", as well as sitting on industry groups to ensure Pret stays on top of industry changes and best practice.
* Audit Compliance - To comply with Pret's internal audit requirements and ensure thorough due diligence and processes are properly documented and systematically tracked at all times.
Skills & Experience Required
* Strong understanding of food safety legislation expertise in microbiological risks, contamination control, and food hygiene practices.
* Familiarity with surveillance testing (microbiological, allergen, chemical) and interpreting lab results.
* Level 4 qualification in HACCP, advanced Food Safety certification.
* Ability to assess food safety risks across supply chains and retail operations.
* Skilled in root cause analysis and implementing corrective/preventive actions.
* Strong communication skills to engage with cross-functional departments.
* Ability to translate technical requirements into practical guidance for non-technical audiences.
* Experience delivering food safety training and building capability across teams.
* Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
Additional Information
* The role will include some nationwide and international travel.
A few more perks
* Up to 38 days of holiday including (flexi) Bank Holidays
* Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost
* 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret
* Life assurance at 3x annual salary & virtual GP
* Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years' service
* Flexi-time and hybrid working (3 days in the office, two days at home)
* Lifestyle savings
* Season ticket loan
* Healthcare cash plan
* Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation
We also offer
* Individual ways to grow – We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you're good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring.
* Diversity and belonging – Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.
* Pace and variety – Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you'll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot
* At Pret, we're proud to make a positive impact through The Pret Foundation. From tackling homelessness to reducing food waste, you'll be part of meaningful change in your community and beyond.
Our values
* Happy Teams Happy Customers
* Amazing Standards Every day
* Never Standing Still
* Doing The Right Thing
We'd love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.