Technical Services Manager

Overview

Job: Technical Services Manager

Location: 50a Whiterock Road, Killinchy

Reporting to: Technical Manager

Responsibilities

• Maintain and continuously improve the site Quality Management System (QMS) in line with BRCGS, HACCP, and legislative requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Manage horizon scanning, food security, and authenticity requirements.
• Lead internal audit programmes and manage third-party audit actions and close-outs.
• Ensure food safety and quality policies, procedures, records, and work instructions are effectively implemented, including document control.
• Take responsibility for decisions relating to corrective actions, non-conforming products, and process deviations, including root cause analysis and CAPA.
• Manage calibration activities and schedules across all Willowbrook sites.
• Participate as a core member of the HACCP team.
• Manage the customer complaints process, including investigation, trending, reporting, and customer/regulatory responses.
• Deliver site briefings and communications to the workforce on site performance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead and maintain the supplier approval programme, including supplier evaluation, approval, re-approval, audits, and performance monitoring.
• Monitor supplier performance through KPIs, complaints, incidents, and trend analysis, escalating risks as required.
• Lead and maintain site food safety risk assessments, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and controlled in line with HACCP principles, BRCGS, and legislative requirements.
• Carry out and review risk assessments relating to raw materials, processes, packaging, allergens, food defence, food fraud, and site activities, ensuring appropriate controls and monitoring are in place.
• Own and maintain the site vulnerability assessment and food fraud mitigation plans, including authenticity testing and supplier assurance activities.
• Manage horizon scanning for emerging food safety, quality, authenticity, and regulatory risks, ensuring timely assessment and implementation of required changes.
• Monitor industry alerts, customer requirements, legislative updates, and certification body communications, assessing impact to site operations and QMS.
• Lead risk-based decision making and escalate emerging risks to the Technical Manager and wider business as appropriate.
• Ensure all risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and horizon scanning activities are documented, reviewed, and audit ready.
• Communicate emerging risks and mitigation actions to relevant site teams and support implementation of controls.
• Ensure sites remain compliant with site procedures and are always audit-ready.
• Manage customer audits, technical queries, complaints, and technical approvals.
• Support customer submissions, technical documentation, and retailer portals, including specification completion as required.
• Build strong technical relationships with customers, certification bodies, and regulatory authorities. Host and support audits and inspections as required.
• Work closely with the maintenance team to ensure acceptable maintenance practices and site fabrication standards.
• Implement customer codes of practice and the BRCGS Standard for Food Safety.
• Carry out any other duties deemed necessary by management in line with the role.

Organisational Structure / Reporting Line

• Technical Manager
• Technical Services Manager
• Specification Technologist