fsqa manager

We are recruiting on behalf of a leading food manufacturer for an FSQA Manager to take ownership of food safety and quality across a complex poultry operation, including fully cooked (RTE) and/or primary processing environments.

This is a high-impact leadership role with responsibility for driving food safety culture, ensuring compliance, and delivering best-in-class quality standards across site operations. The business is values-driven, focused on creating great food and serving great moments, while prioritising people, sustainability, and operational excellence.

The Role

As FSQA Manager, you will lead the site's food safety and quality agenda, ensuring all products meet regulatory, customer, and internal standards. You will work cross-functionally with operations, engineering, and supply chain, while developing and leading a high-performing FSQA team.

Key Responsibilities

Food Safety & Compliance

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP systems
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory and customer standards
• Act as the lead contact for external audits (e.g. BRCGS, retailer, customer audits)
• Oversee traceability, incident management, and recall readiness

Quality & Technical Leadership

• Drive site-wide food safety and quality performance across RTE and/or primary processing operations
• Ensure robust controls around CCPs, particularly cooking (lethality), chilling, and high-risk areas where applicable
• Oversee environmental monitoring programmes, including pathogen control (e.g. Listeria in RTE environments)
• Manage non-conformance, root cause analysis, and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA)

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor and report on key FSQA KPIs (audit scores, complaints, non-conformances, right-first-time)
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across food safety and quality systems
• Embed a proactive, risk-based approach to quality management

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner closely with operations, engineering, and supply chain teams to drive standards and resolve issues
• Influence senior stakeholders to support food safety and quality objectives
• Support customer relationships and technical requirements

People & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop the FSQA team
• Build a strong food safety culture across the site
• Drive engagement, accountability, and continuous development within the team

About You

• Proven experience in an FSQA/Technical Manager role within food manufacturing
• Strong background in poultry and/or RTE (fully cooked/ready-to-eat) environments highly desirable
• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, food safety systems, and regulatory requirements
• Experience leading customer and third-party audits (e.g. BRCGS, retailer standards)
• Strong understanding of microbiology and environmental monitoring
• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field preferred