Are you a senior FSQ leader with proven European experience, ready to shape quality strategy and performance at scale?
We’re partnering with a well-established international food manufacturer (fresh food, short shelf-life products) to appoint a Director of Food Safety & Quality. This is a pivotal, high-impact role with responsibility for FSQ systems, people, and performance across a complex, multi-site European footprint.
You'll be the driving force behind a culture of operational discipline, customer trust, and continuous improvement - balancing strategic leadership with hands-on delivery where needed.
What You’ll Be Driving:
* Ownership of food safety & quality systems across modern production facilities in multiple countries.
* Leadership and development of site-based FSQ teams - raising standards, building capability, and embedding a culture of quality excellence.
* Translating customer expectations into operational reality, working closely with commercial teams and production leaders to ensure requirements are understood and delivered on the ground.
* Implementation of pragmatic, scalable solutions to simplify complexity and improve consistency.
* Act as the go-to authority for risk management, audit performance, and group compliance.
* Deliver both short-term operational stability and a long-term, future-ready quality strategy.
What You Bring:
* Deep expertise in food safety systems, compliance, and operational quality standards.
* Proven leadership across multiple European countries, including managing diverse site maturity levels and cultural expectations.
* Experience in B2B customer-facing roles, with the ability to interpret needs and translate them into aligned production processes.
* A collaborative, emotionally intelligent leadership style - able to influence without authority and create buy-in across functions.
* Comfortable navigating ambiguity, transformation, and the evolving needs of a growing, fast-paced business. Fluent English; additional European languages a plus.
Who This Role Suits:
* Leaders who have already operated at European scale and understand the nuances of cross-market operations.
* Individuals who thrive in autonomous roles and enjoy balancing strategic vision with day-to-day impact.
* Professionals who combine customer sensitivity with operational discipline, capable of bridging the two worlds.
* Builders - of systems, capability, and culture.
Ready to lead, shape, and elevate FSQ across Europe?
We’re especially keen to connect with leaders from B2B and the broader food industry, also within the retail landscape, with the energy, resilience, and vision to shape the future of quality in a transforming business.
Apply or reach out directly to explore further - all conversations held in confidence.