Head of Technical – Protein Division & Central Services
Location: Based out of Coventry with regular presence across Coventry, Harlow and Bury St Edmunds, and also external representation as required.Reports to: Group Head of Technical & ESGDivision: Protein
The Role
Ready to lead, inspire and make a lasting impact?
CPC Foods are seeking an accomplished and experienced technical leader to head up the technical function across our Protein Division (three manufacturing sites), and to provide leadership and governance for our Central Technical Services team - which will need to be established.
This is a divisional leadership role focused on setting standards, assuring consistent delivery and building technical capability across sites. Working through the site Heads of Technical, you will own the divisional technical strategy and governance framework to ensure all materials and finished products are safe, legal, compliant and meet customer specifications, while strengthening food safety culture and driving continuous improvement at scale.
This role will also provide divisional challenge, coaching and assurance, ensuring each site delivers against the same “what good looks like” standard and that risks are managed consistently across the division.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic & Functional Leadership
1. Own and deliver the divisional technical strategy and multi-site governance framework aligned to overall business objectives.
2. Lead and develop a high-performing technical community across three sites through clear standards, coaching, succession planning and capability building.
3. Provide clear function leadership and direction to ensure teams are engaged, focused, developed and performing to their full potential.
4. Create and maintain an innovative environment that encourages colleague participation in raising standards of quality, teamwork and communication.
5. Provide technical leadership for divisional Food Safety Culture.
6. Own divisional technical/ central technical performance management: define KPIs, lead cadence reviews (weekly / monthly), intervene where performance drifts and ensure corrective plans are effective.
7. Demonstrate strong commercial awareness, identifying and delivering cost reduction opportunities/ identifying value creation opportunities.
Food Safety, Quality & Compliance
8. Assure HACCP governance across sites: approve the divisional HACCP standard, and verify effectiveness via risk-based review and ensure consistency of hazard assessment and control.
9. Own specification governance and master data integrity across the division, assuring raw material, packaging and finished product compliance through standardised processes and controls.
10. Divisional audit readiness: define audit standards and verification plans, assure delivery against BRCGS / customer codes and legal requirements, and lead multi-site improvement programmes.
11. Provide food law and regulatory guidance across the division.
12. Divisional customer complaint governance framework, ensuring robust RCA/CAPA quality, cross-site learning, and sustained reduction in repeat defects.
Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
13. Represent the division in key customer technical forums, business reviews and escalations; lead the technical narrative and ensure joined-up multi-site responses.
14. Act as the senior technical escalation point for the Protein Division, leading cross-site crisis response where required and ensuring timely, evidence-based decision making.
Central Technical Services Leadership
15. Provide leadership and governance across Central Technical Services, ensuring they enable site teams and protect compliance at divisional level, including:
16. Divisional specification management (raw material, packaging and finished product) including change control and approvals.
17. Technical artwork approval and legal/claims compliance governance.
18. Divisional MI, KPI and risk reporting (including trend analysis and action tracking).
19. Supplier approval governance and performance oversight (risk-based assurance programme).
20. EPR and relevant compliance scheme reporting (as applicable to divisional products/pack formats).
21. Divisional technical project leadership (systems, standardisation, integration, CAPEX technical input) as required.
22. Food law, labelling and regulatory guidance to protect legality and customer compliance.
About You:
23. Degree qualified in food Science, food Technology or related discipline.
24. Significant senior technical leadership experience within protein, meat, poultry or chilled food manufacturing.
25. Strong working knowledge of UK food law, retailer codes of practice and regulatory frameworks. Demonstrable experience of applying food legislation to manufacturing practice.
26. Proven multi-site leadership experience.
27. Proven track record in multi-site technical governance.
28. Commercially astute with the ability to balance risk, compliance and business performance.
29. Inspirational leader with the ability to build high-performing, engaged teams.
What We Offer:
30. A high-impact leadership role within a critical division of the business.
31. Opportunity to shape divisional technical strategy and culture.
32. Very competitive salary to attract the best.
33. Car Allowance.
34. Working with a great team to “build a better business”.