Technical Director

Lead technical excellence. Shape strategy. Protect quality and integrity.

An outstanding opportunity has arisen for an experienced Technical Director to take a leading role in shaping technical strategy, driving food safety and quality excellence, and strengthening compliance across a fast-paced, multi-site fresh produce and food manufacturing business.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director and operating as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in protecting product integrity, building customer confidence and ensuring the highest standards of food safety, legality and quality across the organisation.

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact leadership position for a commercially aware, strategically minded technical professional who can combine long-term vision with hands-on technical expertise. The Technical Director will lead the evolution of the technical agenda, harmonising systems and standards across multiple sites while driving continuous improvement, operational effectiveness and a proactive culture of compliance.

As the senior technical voice within the business, the successful candidate will work closely with customers, regulators, certification bodies and senior stakeholders, providing expert guidance on technical risk, audit performance and emerging industry challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Technical Strategy: Develop and implement the business-wide strategy for food safety, quality, product integrity and technical compliance across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Drive Audit Excellence: Oversee customer, regulatory, certification and internal audit programmes, strengthening standards, governance and audit performance.
• Champion Food Safety: Embed a consistent, insight-led culture of food safety and quality, ensuring effective management of HACCP, TACCP and VACCP systems.
• Manage Technical Risk: Provide senior oversight of emerging risks, incidents, product withdrawals, recalls and crisis management, protecting both business continuity and customer reputation.
• Develop High-Performing Teams: Lead and inspire the Technical and Quality function, setting clear objectives, strengthening accountability and supporting professional development.
• Strengthen Governance: Establish robust technical governance frameworks, ensuring clear ownership, effective corrective actions, evidence-based reporting and timely escalation of risks.
• Build Customer Confidence: Act as a trusted technical partner to major customers and key stakeholders, ensuring requirements are understood and consistently delivered.
• Deliver Continuous Improvement: Align technical systems, policies, procedures and standards across sites, driving consistency, efficiency and a forward-looking approach

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be an accomplished senior technical leader with a strong background in food manufacturing, fresh produce or a similarly regulated food environment. They will bring the credibility, strategic insight and leadership capability to influence at board level while ensuring technical standards translate into practical, measurable improvements across operational sites.

They will demonstrate:

• Extensive experience leading technical, food safety, quality and compliance functions.
• A strong understanding of major UK retailer technical standards and codes of practice.
• A proven track record of delivering successful audit outcomes and driving corrective and preventative improvement.
• The ability to assess customer, legislative and certification requirements and translate them into effective, consistent systems across multiple sites.
• Experience managing complex technical incidents, product withdrawals, recalls and business continuity challenges.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence senior leaders, customers and external bodies.
• A collaborative, proactive and evidence-led approach to leadership, risk management and continuous improvement.
• A commitment to developing people, building technical capability and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.

Experience within fresh produce, packing, ripening, chilled supply chains or retailer-facing operations would be particularly advantageous. A relevant degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Agriculture, Microbiology or a related discipline, alongside recognised food safety, HACCP, Lead Auditor or Quality Management System qualifications, would also be beneficial.

Make a Lasting Impact

This is an opportunity for a forward-thinking Technical Director to shape the future of a growing, multi-site food business, influence strategic priorities and build a robust, future-focused technical function.

For a senior technical professional ready to combine strategic leadership with meaningful operational impact, this role offers the opportunity to strengthen standards, develop talent and make a significant contribution to business performance, customer confidence and long-term success.