Quality Assurance Manager Sector: Food Manufacturing Location: Colchester, Essex Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent Salary: Competitive – to be discussed Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 06:00 – 17:00 iSQ Recruitment are pleased to be supporting a privately owned food manufacturer in Essex who are looking to bring in a Quality Assurance Manager to support and strengthen their technical function on site. Operating within the snacking sector, this business produces premium food products for retail and foodservice customers across the UK. With a strong focus on food safety, traceability, and compliance, the company continues to invest in robust quality systems, modern processes, and continuous improvement. Reporting directly to the Head of Operations, the Quality Assurance Manager will play a critical role in safeguarding food safety, legality, and quality standards across the site. The role is highly operational and hands-on, with responsibility for monitoring compliance, maintaining documentation, and escalating non-conformances to protect the business from risk. Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available. Applicants must have full Right to Work in the UK, relevant experience, and a full UK driving licence with access to their own vehicle. Benefits Competitive salary. Pension scheme (3% Employer / 5% Employee). 25 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays. Generous staff discounts on company products. Company retention bonus scheme (from Year 2). Key Responsibilities Carry out sampling and testing of raw materials, work in progress, and finished products to ensure food safety and quality standards are met. Maintain and audit quality systems and documentation to ensure full traceability, due diligence, and BRC compliance. Manage HACCP controls, implementing updates and improvements where required. Plan and deliver internal and external audits, including GMP, prerequisite programmes, traceability, recall testing, and BRC audits. Manage complaints, supplier approval, raw material risk assessments, and environmental testing, reporting trends and findings as required. Support site-wide projects, including automation, by providing quality and food safety expertise. Essential Criteria & Experience Proven Quality Control / Quality Assurance experience within food manufacturing. Strong working knowledge of food safety, legality, and BRC standards. Confident using Microsoft Office and Quality Management Systems. Ability to influence and challenge others to ensure correct procedures are followed. Strong communication skills with the ability to interpret written and numerical data. Able to identify risks, non-conformances, and opportunities for technical improvement. Food Safety, HACCP, and Health & Safety training. Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a company where quality is taken seriously, staff work closely together, and your contribution will have a direct impact on the business. Click to apply now for this Production Manager vacancy, or submit your CV to lana@isqrecruitment.co.uk or call 01603 369500 for more information.