Job Description
Job Description
Job Role: Quality Assurance Manager
Salary: £Competitive + £Car Allowance
Location: Buckinghamshire
Type: Full Time / Permanent / Hybrid
Hours: Start between 08:00 - 09:30– Leave between 14:30pm – 18:00 (Flexible working is available)
Benefits: Attractive Pension, Private Medical Insurance, 25 days holiday + BH, 4 x Life Assurance
Overview
Everest People Solutions are recruiting a Quality Assurance Manager for a world class procurement, supply chain and service organisation in the food industry. The Quality Assurance Manager's role is to ensure that all products meet specified standards, maximising product quality, food safety, and profitability for franchisees. This will be achieved through continuous performance improvement against agreed KPIs, managing effective root cause analyses with suppliers, and tracking performance improvement against set timelines. The role also involves communicating best practices to enhance category performance and supporting the purchasing team to resolve key technical issues that will drive value and other benefits for franchisees.
Key Duties & Responsibilities for the Quality Assurance Manager
- Ensure suppliers consistently adhere to specified standards.
- Report any gaps to the Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager (FSQA).
- Mentor suppliers and purchasing teams on understanding and meeting target product and acceptable quality standards.
- Collaborate with the FSQA team to ensure suppliers follow quality and food safety policies and procedures.
- Manage complaints by improving quality and food safety performance, analysing issues, creating action plans, and overseeing the investigation and resolution process. Monitor and report on improvements to the FSQA and Purchasing teams.
- Work with the Purchasing team to engage and motivate suppliers.
- Ensure suppliers are aware of and committed to technical KPIs, identifying and improving any under-performance issues.
- Oversee quality assurance of new products post-launch, ensuring effective handover and documentation of QA responsibility, and resolving any issues identified at handover.
- Proactively manage category supplier performance in quality, food safety, and project delivery.
- Investigate and resolve escalated food safety, quality, and integrity issues with suppliers and distributors, ensuring effective root cause analyses and lasting solutions.
- Inform the Quality Improvement Manager and FSQA team of any immediate food safety risks, supporting investigation and action planning.
- Develop and drive performance improvements with suppliers and distributors, securing stakeholder buy-in, defining critical paths, and providing feedback and progress reports. This includes temperature verification programs and mock recall tests.
- Support quality, safety, and integrity of food supplied to franchisees through various projects, including compliance on CSR or food fraud risk management as directed by the Quality Improvement Manager.
- Develop long-term partnerships with key suppliers and stakeholders to deliver sustainable value and improved quality.
- Support category teams in identifying and scoping opportunities to deliver improved value and quality to franchisees.
Requirements for the Quality Assurance Manager
- Degree in Food Science or a related field
- Proven track record in managing technical KPIs and enhancing quality and value performance with suppliers.
- Deep understanding of root cause analysis, quality management systems, and food production processes
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with key stakeholders to meet objectives.
- Experience in product management within a highly networked environment.
- Self-motivated, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- Passion for food, including a willingness to work with and taste a variety of food types.
- Willingness and capability to travel across Europe and beyond as needed.
- Experience as an auditor and with HACCP principles.
- Proficient in IT
- Strategic and commercial mindset, with an understanding of business strategies and supplier relationships to ensure strong partnerships.
- Highly organised, able to manage the demands of a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
- Entrepreneurial and proactive approach, with the ability to think creatively and solve problems.
- Capable of thriving in a flexible, fast-paced, small business setting while collaborating effectively with others