Assistant Technical Manager

We are looking for an experienced and confident Assistant Technical Manager to play a pivotal role in leading the Quality and Food Safety agenda at our Bridgwater site. This is a highly influential day-based role where you will support and deputise for the Site Technical Manager ensuring that quality compliance and audit readiness are embedded into everything we do.

You will act as a key link between factory teams central functions customers and external bodies driving quality excellence and ensuring our systems standards and culture consistently meet business customer and regulatory expectations.

Technical Manager Refresco Bridgwater

Days Monday Friday

Whats in it for you

• Competitive pay
• 12.5% Annual bonus
• 7% Employer pension contribution
• Personal healthcare cover with Bupa
• Life assurance
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Purchase extra holiday scheme
• Access to employee benefits platform Cheers which includes flexible benefits such as; additional healthcare cover healthcare cash plan dental insurance car scheme activities pass financial services will writing services etc.

About the role:

As Assistant Technical Manager you will have day-to-day responsibility for the effective operation of the site Quality Management System (QMS). You will lead internal audit activity support external and customer audits and ensure strong governance of HACCP TACCP and GMP across the site.

You will work closely with the Compliance Manager and Factory Quality Managers to drive continuous improvement reduce quality losses and maintain a strong audit-ready culture.

Key Responsibilities:

Internal Audits & CAPA

• Assign and manage internal audits in line with the site audit schedule
• Act as a trained internal auditor conducting audits as required
• Manage audit actions within the CAPA database ensuring timely and accurate closure
• Escalate overdue actions through Tier 1 and Tier 2 daily meetings
• Support and train auditors in effective CAPA management
• Conduct and report on weekly task audits including CCP verification
• Lead site traceability and product recall exercises

Complaints & Non-Conforming Product

• Drive quality loss reduction plans in collaboration with Factory Quality Managers
• Reduce complaints and non-conforming product through structured analysis and action planning

3rd Party & Customer Audits

• Act as the site lead and primary contact for all customer and 3rd party audits
• Partner with the Compliance Manager to deliver GMP and QMS audit elements
• Lead post-audit reviews assign actions manage submissions and timelines
• Escalate non-completion of actions where required
• Maintain strong customer-facing relationships and audit readiness

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

• Conduct GMP audits trend findings and drive reduction of non-conformances
• Work with Factory Quality Managers to embed GMP improvements

Pest Control

• Act as site lead for pest control activities
• Schedule visits manage databases trend data and raise POs
• Report pest control performance into management reviews

HACCP & TACCP

• Lead the site HACCP & TACCP teams ensuring reviews are completed to schedule
• Maintain compliant documentation and ensure cross-functional team capability
• Support CCP training delivery across factory teams

Customer Gap Analysis

• Support customer gap analysis activities and drive closure of identified gaps
• Ensure cross-functional ownership and awareness

Management Review & Documentation

• Prepare and lead site Management Review meetings
• Ensure minutes actions and follow-up are robust and visible
• Support document control and maintenance of quality documentation
• Maintain effective site Quality Plans in partnership with Factory Quality Managers

• Incident Management
• Escalate significant quality incidents to the Site Technical Manager
• Provide QMS and food safety support during investigations and RCA

About you:

• Good manufacturing understanding
• Strong analytical organisational and planning skills
• Confidence to lead planning meetings and influence others at all levels
• Strong IT capability with experience using SAP
• Excellent communication problem-solving and coaching skills

About Refresco:

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global National and Emerging brands and retailers with production in Europe North America and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton PET Aseptic PET cans and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand environmental responsibilities and market demand.

Our drinks on every table. Thats the Refresco vision. Were a global business and currently produce 12 billion litres of soft drinks from 64 manufacturing plants in 12 countries and were only just getting started.

Were the proud owners of six drinks manufacturing sites within the UK. Our UK business provides a great place to work for over 1800 employees who produce private label soft drinks and fruit juices for all the leading retailers.

Whether its packed in cartons bottles or cans we ensure that our products are made to the highest quality standards. Our products get where they need to be when they need to get there to meet the needs of our high-profile customers.

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our companys values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process

#LI-GK1 Technical manager Quality Manager