Quality & Technical Manager – Dromona
We are Dale Farm Ltd, the largest UK farmer‑owned cooperative, supplying a wide range of dairy ingredients and products to the UK, Ireland and international markets. We are looking for a Quality & Technical Manager to lead our Quality & Technical Team at the Dromona Creamery.
About the Role
As the site Technical & Quality Manager you will be a key member of the site management team and take primary responsibility for driving best‑in‑class quality and technical performance. Reporting to the General Manager your responsibilities include:
* Ensuring that quality systems operate effectively to comply with all relevant food safety, legal, certification and group compliance standards (BRC, ISO, etc.).
* Implementing and maintaining group systems portals such as Foods Connected.
* Ensuring that products comply with required quality parameters, including specification criteria, labelling, weight and measures, temperature control and food safety.
* Developing and maintaining product specifications through retailer portals and internal specification platforms.
* Promoting and participating in activities that achieve the highest safety, operational, hygiene and quality standards in line with GMP.
* Leading a continual improvement programme, site investigations and improvement plans for technical and quality KPIs.
* Co‑ordinating and leading site visits and audits, and consulting with customer representatives and regulatory authorities.
* Implementing improvements aligned with the group technical strategy and setting site quality objectives.
* Developing staff training and mentoring programmes for the technical team.
* Maintaining an internal auditing system, HACCP programme and trend analysis to support quality improvement.
* Developing specifications for raw materials, processing parameters and final product, and monitoring incoming materials for conformance.
* Collaborating with the group development manager on NPD projects, and contributing to site management team objectives.
* Managing the Site Technical and Laboratory functions, ensuring budget, test validation and verification.
* Carrying out other reasonable duties as required.
About You
We are looking for a candidate with:
* At least 3 years’ experience in a management level food quality and technical department or 5 years in a supervisory role within food manufacturing.
* Proven ability to lead customer, accreditation and legislative audits.
* Proficient knowledge of QMS and HACCP implementation and monitoring.
* Strong communication skills and the ability to coordinate with multiple departments and management levels.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and QMS systems.
* Experience working under pressure with a high‑volume workload and high attention to detail.
* Desirable: knowledge of microbiological and analytical analysis, lab environment experience, PIP activities and waste reduction.
We are seeking a highly motivated and ambitious person with strong interpersonal skills who will drive success in a dynamic environment.
Why Dale Farm?
We offer a competitive salary, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, a contributory company pension, Life Assurance, Employee Assistance Programme and enhanced maternity and paternity leave. Our culture is built on teamwork, positivity, resolve, ambition, curiosity and accountability.
You can learn more about life at Dale Farm on our career pages and our social media channels.
Closing date for applications: 5 pm Monday 10th November 2025. Please apply via the button below.
Equal Opportunities Employer
Only applications from EU nationals or those with a valid permit to work in the UK will be accepted. Please do not submit unsolicited CVs from agencies.
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