Join Our Team as a Quality Manager!
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Fresh Kitchen is on the lookout for a Quality Manager to join our vibrant team on-site in Bicester, on a 12-month Fixed Term Contract. This is your chance to make a real impact in the food industry!
Your Role
As our Quality Manager, you will be at the forefront of ensuring that Fresh Kitchen and M&J Seafood meet the highest standards of food safety, quality, hygiene, and legal compliance. You will lead the charge in implementing, monitoring, and auditing our Quality Management Systems (QMS), driving continuous improvement and ensuring our team adheres to due diligence systems through regular audits.
Key Responsibilities
* Enhance and enforce the QMS through audits, technical support, and consistent system implementation.
* Support customer, regulatory, and third-party audits (BRC, MSC, ASC) to ensure compliance with quality, GMP, hygiene, pest control, and legal standards.
* Manage non-conformance investigations, complaints, raw material intake checks, traceability, labeling, and environmental monitoring.
* Maintain QMS documentation, review artwork and labels, manage product specifications, and coordinate internal/external sample testing, including sensory and shelf-life assessments.
* Promote a culture of food safety, manage product traceability and recall processes, and support food safety training.
* Develop and monitor internal audit programs, oversee the Quality Controller, and ensure effective communication with customers, suppliers, and production teams.
* Conduct specification reviews, product quality assessments, and data management using Assure and Nutritics; analyze KPIs and quality data for improvement.
* Lead allergen management initiatives and support New Product Development and technical projects.
* Ensure compliance with Health & Safety standards, including PPE use, and lead by example.
About You
To thrive in this role, you should possess:
* A full clean Driver's License.
* A degree in Food Science or Technology (or equivalent).
* Ideally, HACCP level 3 certification and Internal Auditor/Lead Auditor qualifications.
* High-risk manufacturing and seafood knowledge, including food safety and quality requirements.
* Familiarity with relevant food safety legislation, QMS, BRC standards, and audits.
* Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused mindset.
* Strong organizational and project management skills, with a keen attention to detail.
* Previous experience in recipe management systems and developing/reviewing specifications and artwork approval is a plus.
What We Offer
At Fresh Kitchen, we believe in rewarding our team members. Here’s what you can expect:
* A competitive salary.
* A robust pension scheme.
* A generous holiday allowance of 25 days, with the option to purchase additional holidays + bank holidays.
* Exciting discounts on a variety of delicious food and award-winning products through our staff shop.
* Discounts on cinema tickets, shopping, and cashback on purchases through Sodexo.
* Recognition awards and incentives to celebrate your hard work.
* Real career opportunities within Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opening a world of possibilities for you.
If you're passionate about quality and ready to make a difference, we want to hear from you!