Job Description
Job Title: Quality Assurance Technologist
Location: Cranbrook (site-based)
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: £30k - £40k
Reporting to: Head of Technical (Products)
Job Purpose
This is a varied, hands-on Quality Assurance role within a food manufacturing environment. Working closely with Production, NPD and Laboratory teams, the QA Officer will play a key role in ensuring products are safe, legal, and meet customer and regulatory standards. The role suits a proactive team player with strong attention to detail and good communication skills.
Key Responsibilities
* Support the business in producing safe, legal, and quality food products.
* Carry out GMP, hygiene, glass and foreign body audits across the manufacturing facility.
* Support investigation of customer complaints, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
* Support product assessment systems to ensure products meet quality standards and agreed specifications.
* Coordinate sampling for laboratory analysis in line with site schedules, trend results, and escalate out-of-spec findings.
* Coordinate shelf-life extension requests with suppliers and support on-site laboratory activity where required.
* Conduct microbiological and allergen swabbing in line with site schedules and validation activities.
* Perform chemical titrations as required.
* Carry out equipment calibration and site validation / verification activities.
* Support third-party audits and internal traceability exercises, including document retrieval and audit presentation.
* Support supplier complaint investigations, including traceability, reporting, and close-out.
* Maintain QA communication boards and contribute to food safety culture communications.
About You
* Experience in a QA role within food manufacturing (chilled, ambient or FMCG preferred).
* Good understanding of GMP, hygiene standards, food safety and quality systems.
* Comfortable working cross-functionally with Production, Technical and NPD teams.
* Strong attention to detail with a proactive, hands-on approach.
* Confident communicator with the ability to support audits and investigations.
Additional Information
This role offers the opportunity to develop within a growing technical team in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. Duties may vary to meet business needs.