Our client is a well known company in the Fresh Produce Industry.
They are looking for a Technical Manager to join their team based in Kent. The Technical Manager would have a strong background in the Fresh Produce Industry, with experience in Technical and Compliance.
Key Responsibilities:
▪ Supporting the Head of Technical on working as part of the technical team
▪ Manage products and customer specification maintenance and issue
▪ Working with different customer platforms and maintaining them up to date in accordance with the business and customer needs (supplier approval, temporary specifications, etc.)
▪ Complaints and rejection management – investigating, resolving, updating internal non-conformances
▪ Creating and distributing to customer weekly crop reports
▪ Supporting and working closely with the QC Team in the absence of the Quality Manager
▪ Regular visits (once per week) to third party packing facilities conducting product inspections and producing quality feedback to the business
▪ Assisting with maintaining all technical documentation and keeping it up to date as required
▪ Label checking and approval for packed at source product
▪ Liaising with at source Technical Management Team
▪ Conducting monthly site GMP’s
▪ Conducting inductions for new starters
▪ Conducting yearly refresher training for all members of staff
▪ Keeping training records up to date and advising on when a member of staff is due to be trained
▪ Leading the SMM meeting
▪ Visits at source
▪ Customer exposure
▪ Issuing, closing and tracing the status of all internal non-conformances
▪ Preparing and analyzing data for SMM (rejections, etc.)
▪ Conducting bi-weekly benchmarking and GAP Analysis. Products will be advised by Commercial Director and Head of Technical
▪ Effectively analyzing the benchmarking and market gap analysis and distributing to customers the insights and results
▪ Creating, recording and keeping up to date temporary spec tracker
▪ All admin tasks that may require attention (PPPL creation, platform and due diligence maintenance. etc.)
▪ The Technical Manager will also be involved with the QC Team in the packhouse. This will involve covering the QM when off or on annual leave (looking after the QC function in the packhouse, supporting the team, etc), helping with the administrative desk based tasks (due diligence, supplier and grower approvals, dealing with customers, etc) and will cover a small part of the site compliance, such as monthly GMPs, internal audits, non-conformances, inductions, etc.
Requirements:
▪ Experience within the Fresh Produce is essential (fruit and veg)
▪ Food Safety, Food Quality, QMS, BRCGS
▪ Ability to work confidently within a team, in a fast-paced environment
▪ Strong IT ability (Microsoft Office programs; Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
▪ Strong organizational skills, good attention to detail and a methodical approach with strong ability to prioritize
▪ Knowledge of BRCGS, product specifications, customer complaint management and customer needs
▪ Experience of working with retail customers
▪ Spanish speaking is desirable
▪ Driving License is essential
Key relationships:
▪ Reports to: Head of Technical
▪ Commercial / Procurement
▪ Quality Manager
Job Information / Environment:
• Mainly office-based working in a team
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Working to strict deadlines in a time critical environment
• Team player
• Accuracy
Salary: Depending on Experience
Hours: Sun-Thu (Fri and Sat – off), Working hours 8.00am – 5.00pm, a degree of flexibility is required