Department : Technical
Location : Ballymena
Direct Reports : QA Auditors
About the Role
We 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 Responsibilities
Design, implement, maintain and continuously improve a HACCP-based Quality Management System, ensuring full due diligence and compliance
Coordinate and lead HACCP team activities
Ensure compliance with BRC, customer, third-party and legislative requirements
Support NPD and process development through specifications, artwork verification, shelf-life, reference samples and use-by schedules
Monitor cleaning, hygiene and housekeeping standards through factory audits, trend analysis and action planning
Manage corrective actions and control of non-conforming ingredients and finished product, including holds, rejects and returns
Oversee microbiological, shelf-life and chemical testing programmes, identifying trends and driving corrective and preventative actions
Manage customer complaints, investigations, serious incidents and follow-up actions
Develop, maintain and test the site Crisis Management System
Maintain site accreditations and implement additional standards required by customers or industry best practice
Produce daily, weekly and monthly quality KPI reporting for operations teams
Provide insight-led information to support problem-solving and continuous improvement
Liaise with customers and statutory bodies during audits and site visits, ensuring effective responses and close-out of actions
Lead, coach and develop QA Auditors in line with Pilgrim's Europe standards and expectations
Promote a culture of engagement, accountability and effective communication
Support training and development to build capability and resilience within the team
Manage performance, attendance and appraisals in line with company requirements
Lead by example in Health & Safety compliance and safe systems of work
Ensure COSHH assessments, risk assessments, training and incident investigations are completed and actioned
Maintain high standards of hygiene and housekeeping across all areas
Actively work to reduce environmental impact through waste, energy and carbon-reduction initiatives
What We're Looking For
Experience in a technical or quality leadership role within FMCG food manufacturing
Strong knowledge of HACCP, BRC standards, food legislation and food hygiene
Auditing experience with strong report-writing capability
Excellent communication, organisational and stakeholder-management skills
Proven people leadership and development experience
Third-level qualification in a relevant discipline
Advanced Diploma in Applied HACCP
Advanced Food Hygiene qualification
Project management or continuous improvement experience
Experience working directly with customers, auditors and regulatory bodies
Values & Behaviours
Demonstrates 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 reputation
Work in a technically challenging, fast-paced manufacturing environment
Lead and develop a skilled Quality team
Drive real, measurable improvements through continuous improvement
Competitive reward package and development opportunities within a leading European food business
Interested?
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.
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