Head of Food Safety and Quality - Retail

Kepak is one of Europes leading food companies with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Kepaks vision is to be a successful sustainable future ready Food Business with differentiation at its core that is a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility Ambition Passion For Food & Teamwork.

Kepak Meat Division UK is one of the UKs leading food processing companies operating 3 manufacturing sites across the UK with a core focus on meat and protein-based products our turnover is approximately 600m. Our company is dedicated to delivering high-quality food products we have up to 2000 people supporting our mission to innovate and excel in the food industry providing exceptional service and value to our stakeholders.

Head of Food Safety and Quality - Retail

In this newly establish pivotal role you will report to the Food Safety & Quality Director and you will provide strategic and operational leadership for food safety and quality management within Kepak Meat Division UKs retail packing operations.

Your mission is to uphold the highest standards of food safety compliance and quality assurance while fostering a robust culture of operational excellence.

As the Head of Food Safety and Quality - Retail you will be at the forefront of driving continuous improvement in processes ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and empowering site teams to meet and exceed business objectives.

As a key member of our senior leadership team you will embody and champion Kepaks values inspiring a culture of accountability innovation and engagement throughout the organization.

Responsibilities:

Health and Safety

• Foster a robust safety-first culture by guaranteeing complete adherence to health and safety regulations and internal guidelines. Work closely with the Health and Safety team to implement tailored health and safety plans specific to each site.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations including HACCP BRC standards animal welfare and training requirements.
• Assist our site teams in upholding Kepak customer and regulatory standards throughout our operations.
• Manage Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (QMS) and audits ensuring that we achieve excellent results.
• Have a strong grasp of business policies procedures and legal obligations making certain that we remain compliant.

Business Continuity and Risk Management

• Take the initiative to recognize and address potential risks within our retail manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate closely with the operations teams to create and execute comprehensive business continuity plans at all locations.

Budget Management

• Effectively overseeing personnel and departmental expenses to stay within budget.
• Aims to enhance resource efficiency while maintaining top-notch performance.
• Shows strong commercial insight and proactively identifies opportunities for cost savings.

Customer and Supplier Standards

• Champions and maintains high standards for our customers and suppliers at the site.
• Guarantees that site processes meet customer expectations while adhering to food safety compliance requirements.

Strategic Leadership & Accountability

• Craft and execute dynamic strategies that drive ongoing innovation in food safety and quality processes.
• Establish clear expectations while empowering teams to take pride in their ownership of food safety initiatives.
• Nurture a strong culture of accountability ensuring that both you and your colleagues are responsible for every facet of food safety and quality from on-site execution to delivery and follow-through.
• Anticipate regulatory customer and operational trends to proactively shape quality and compliance strategies
• Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency in driving initiatives forward ensuring that critical priorities are addressed promptly and decisively.
• Communicates clearly and effectively with senior teams on relevant business areas

Continuous Improvement

• Encourage a thriving culture of ongoing enhancement to elevate our food safety systems and ensure compliance.
• Work closely with operations engineering and IT teams to develop and implement cutting-edge solutions that optimize food safety processes.

Food Safety

• Foster a robust food safety culture across all locations.
• Lead the charge in advancing innovative food safety systems and quality practices that elevate operational excellence and build customer trust.
• Ensure adherence to food safety audits and meet customer-specific requirements with diligence

People & Culture

• Inspire nurture and enable your teams to reach their maximum potential.
• Foster a culture of positive engagement and collaboration among teams and stakeholders

• Advanced qualifications in Food Science Food Technology or related fields
• Lead auditor qualification (BRC GFSI ISO22000) advantageous
• Professional certifications in quality management advantageous (e.g. Six Sigma ISO 9001)
• Proven experience in food safety and quality management within the food manufacturing industry.
• Understanding of HACCP BRC standards GMP and food safety regulations
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage cross-functional teams effectively.
• Proven track record of managing food safety programs in a retail manufacturing environment
• Extensive experience with regulatory compliance quality assurance and risk management
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Full professional fluency in English language

• Company Pension
• Death in Service Benefit
• Employee Discount Platform - All Kepak employees are entitled to access to the WrkIt platform which offers significant discounts and cashback with hundreds of brands.
• Refer a Friend Scheme - Get up to 500 for successfully referring a friend or family member to Kepak Group.
• Bike to Work Scheme - You can buy a bike and safety equipment through a salary sacrifice scheme which reduces your taxable income meaning you pay less tax!
• Subsidised Canteen - Our on site canteen is serving multiple hot food options during the day
• Free Car Parking - Our Kepak site has a dedicated staff car parking facility which is free to use for all of our colleagues.
• Long Service Awards - We recognise acknowledge and award the dedication and valuable contribution of long serving employees
• GroceryAid Employee Assistance Program - Providing emotional practical and financial support for all Kepak colleagues.

Required Experience:

Director