Job Description
Vice President, Quality & Food Safety
Senior Director level role
Location: UK (relocation supported), potentially Europe with travel
We are seeking a Vice President of Quality & Food Safety to lead a critical global transformation agenda.
This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for building and embedding a world-class, centralised Quality & Food Safety function across a complex, multi-regional organisation.
With strong executive sponsorship and significant recent investment in foundational food safety, the business is now focused on shifting from reactive compliance to a proactive, embedded quality culture.
The Opportunity
This is not a steady-state leadership role.
You will:
* Build and scale a global quality framework
* Align regional quality operations under a consistent standard
* Act as the organisation’s senior authority on quality and food safety
* Influence executive leadership to prioritise and invest in quality
You will lead a globally distributed ecosystem of approximately 400 quality professionals, including 6 regional quality leads in a matrix structure.
Key Responsibilities
Global Quality & Food Safety Leadership
* Define and implement the global Quality & Food Safety strategy
* Establish consistent standards, policies, and governance across all regions
* Ensure alignment between central and regional teams
Culture Transformation
* Drive the shift toward a proactive quality culture
* Embed quality and food safety into day-to-day business operations
* Champion accountability and continuous improvement across the organisation
Technical Oversight
* Provide expert guidance across the food safety and quality risk landscape
* Ensure robust systems, processes, and controls are in place
* Act as a credible authority with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams
Stakeholder Management & Influence
* Partner with senior stakeholders including:
* Regional Managing Directors
* Supply Chain leadership
* R&D and Operations
* Confidently challenge and influence at executive level
* Navigate complex, and at times controversial, decision-making environments
Commercial Leadership
* Translate quality and food safety priorities into clear business value
* Build compelling cases for investment in quality initiatives
* Secure resources by articulating risk, return, and impact
Organisation & Capability Building
* Build and develop a high-performing global quality organisation
* Strengthen capability across regions
* Create clear structures, roles, and accountability
Candidate Profile
Experience
* Senior leadership experience in Quality & Food Safety within:
* Food manufacturing, FMCG, or adjacent sectors (e.g. personal care)
* Proven track record in:
* Global or multi-regional roles, OR
* Leading quality within a region of a large multinational and ready to step into a global role
* Experience operating in complex, matrixed organisations
Technical Expertise
* Strong understanding of:
* Food safety systems and standards
* Quality management frameworks
* Regulatory environments
* Ability to engage deeply on technical topics while operating at strategic level
Leadership & Behavioural Capabilities
Critical success factors:
* Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills
* Ability to operate effectively at executive and board level
* Strong commercial acumen
* Experience securing investment and resources
Leadership style:
* Credible, calm, and measured
* Able to challenge constructively
* Balances firmness with cultural sensitivity
* Builds trust quickly across diverse teams
What We Are Looking For
* A builder, not a maintainer
* A leader who can:
* Drive change
* Align diverse stakeholders
* Embed sustainable systems and behaviours
What We Are Not Looking For
* Pure technical specialists without leadership depth
* Individuals lacking stakeholder influence at senior level
* Leadership styles that are either:
* Too passive to drive change, or
* Overly aggressive and culturally misaligned
Qualifications
Degree (or equivalent) in:
* Food Science, Engineering, or a related discipline
* Advanced qualifications in quality or food safety are advantageous
Location & Mobility
* UK preferred (relocation supported)
* Open to Europe-based candidates willing to travel
* International travel required
Compensation
* Competitive executive package including:
* Circa £220,000 base salary
* Bonus
* Car allowance
* Benefits
* Relocation support