Head of Technical

We are looking for a Head of Technical to join our business, based across Nuneaton and London. A key part of the Supply Chain & Operations Leadership Team, you’ll be critical in helping grow the business and ensuring our snacks are the most delicious, appeal to consumers and produced to the highest standards whilst ensuring we continue to develop the business culture related to quality & food safety.

The Person:

This person will excel in engaging teams and cross-functional working to achieve exceptional results. The right candidate will possess a comprehensive understanding of key aspects of the food industry, including regulatory issues, product development and BRC standards. Additionally, they will have a deep knowledge of current and future trends in health messaging and snack manufacturing, positioning themselves to navigate and lead in this dynamic sector.

The Role:

The Head of Technical reports to the Operations Director and to ensure full support of the commercial growth agenda, has a dotted reporting line into the Innovation Director. The role is responsible for overseeing all technical aspects relating to production of brands in our own factory and with contract manufacturing partners. This includes ensuring food safety, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The role will lead on technical issues for the business with customers and internally. This will include managing the Technical Services & Regulatory team, supporting customers / contract manufacturing partners, supporting the Innovation and Brand teams with NPD / EPD process, marketing messages and relevant technical input, developing our quality systems, and working to continuously improve the food safety culture within PROPER SNACKS. The role will work seamlessly with the Head of Manufacturing to ensure the factory Quality Assurance team

Responsibilities:

Technical Strategy: Create and implement a technical strategy for the entire business.

Food Safety: Lead initiatives to ensure food safety. Develop metrics to measure success and improvement.

Technical Expertise: Provide technical advice to the business, customers, and the site management team.

Technical Audits: Manage and host technical audits. Handle non-compliance issues from audits as needed. Undertake audits/ sign off for 3rd party manufacturers

Product Development: Support the Innovation & Brand Teams with NPD / EPD projects to deliver the commercial growth agenda

Regulatory Escalation: Provide pragmatic guidance to the Brand & Creative Teams based on risk assessment for challenger on-pack and marketing messages aligned to our brand strategy. Work with Innovation Director to identify and future-proof the business for regulatory changes and market leading health/wellbeing initiatives. Represent the business with industry associations.

Standards and Practices: Understand and apply relevant standards and codes to meet PROPER SNACKS, Customer, BRC, and legal requirements.

Quality Management: Implement and review quality management systems to meet safety and quality standards.

Audit System: Establish an audit system to ensure compliance with critical procedures for product safety, legality, and quality. Review internal findings, identify trends, and implement preventive measures.

Specification & Packaging Systems: Working with the Project Management team to launch and embed a new specification and packaging system

Requirements:

Experience: Significant experience in a quality or technical role in a food manufacturing or FMCG environment including working with major customers.

Practical experience with auditing, HACCP, BRC, and retailer codes of practice.

Industry Knowledge: Understanding of major industry trends, retailer and regulatory requirements

Experience of providing technical and regulatory guidance for NPD & EPD product and packaging projects

Experience of managing contract-manufacturing partners to ensure quality / food safety.

Leadership: Proven skills in leading and developing teams.

Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to build lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Skilled at cross-functional working and able to deliver at pace.

Organisational Skills: Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage people and systems effectively. Ability to adapt and work well under pressure.

Values: Alignment with the company’s values – Be Builder, Seriously Fun, and Dream Bigger.

About PS:

PROPER SNACKS is the home of PROPER and Eat Real. The UK’s fastest-growing major snacks company.

We’re a diverse team of builders, thinkers, creators and makers - based in London and Nuneaton and serving snackers across Europe. Our brilliant team are united by an insatiable curiosity and driven by an entrepreneurial spirit. At PROPER SNACKS, we don’t sit still. We scale fast, dream big and back our people to make stuff happen. Our values keep us grounded: Be builder. Dream bigger. Seriously fun.

Whether you're joining us in London – where the brands are built, and big ideas take flight. Or in Nuneaton where magic happens in our factory and every bag gets made – you’ll be part of a team shaking up the snacking world. Get a flavour of what life is like at PROPER SNACKS here.

LDN – Drummond Street – London – NW1 3HP NUN – Townsend Dr – Nuneaton – CV11 6TJ

Our Approach:

PROPER and Eat Real is an equal opportunities employer and we do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the recruitment or interview process.