Are you an experienced hands-on Quality & Product Safety Lead or deputy who is looking for the opportunity to step up, with a strong background working to BRC standards (packaging would be advantageous but not essential). Do you thrive on taking accountability and driving quality, and continuous improvement? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
St. Johns Packaging is a leading manufacturer of flexible packaging (think bread bags for your sliced white loaf, or packaging for your toilet rolls). Due to the current postholder shortly retiring we are looking for a quality & product safety lead to take over ownership of our well established and stable quality and product safety management system across our site in Ilkeston, where you would work as part of our 60 strong highly experienced team.
What you’ll do:
· Act as the site lead for Quality and Product Safety, ensuring standards are understood and followed
· Provide coaching, mentoring, and training to teams to embed a strong quality culture
· Lead and chair the HACCP team, ensuring compliance with BRC requirements
· Promote continuous improvement and quality ownership across all site activities
· Maintain and continuously improve the site QMS in line with BRC Global Standard for Packaging Materials Issue 7
· Ensure the site remains audit-ready at all times
· Monitor and report on quality KPIs and performance trends
· Lead internal and external audits (BRC, customer, and regulatory audits)
· Own the customer complaints and internal non-conformance process
· Lead root cause analysis and ensure effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
· Support operational teams in investigations and continuous improvement
· Manage supplier approval processes and conduct supplier audits where required
· Support product specification management and onboarding processes
What we’re looking for:
· Experience acting as the primary Quality & Product Safety lead/deputy or senior specialist – essential
- Experience of operating to BRC in food packaging/food manufacturing environment – Essential – food packaging desirable.
- Have in depth knowledge and demonstrated experience of working to BRC Global Standard Packaging Materials Issue 7-essential.
- Practical experience of QMS ownership, developing, maintaining, and improving a site QMS, managing internal audits, non-conformances, CAPA’s and document control- essential.
- Confident leading internal and external audits including BRC audits, audit readiness, and corrective action plans- essential
· HACCP Level 3 (or demonstrable understanding of hazard analysis, risk assessment and control verification chairing HACCP teams to BRC standard)- essential. Level 4 desirable
- Experience of managing customer complaints and non‑conformance processess. essential
- Understanding of food safety legislation and customer compliance requirements e.g. producing declarations of compliance and product specifications essential
· Certified Internal Auditor - essential Lead Assessor qualification- desirable. (BRC Packaging Materials Issue 7 internal auditor training highly desirable)
- Computer literate – Microsoft office essential
· Continuous Improvement or Root Cause Analysis training (e.g. 5 Why, Fishbone training, lean, Six Sigma Yellow/Green Belt)- desirable
· Able to balance compliance with operational realities
- Excellent communications skills
- Strong Influencing skills
- Proactive and accountable
What we offer
· As well as a competitive salary commensurate with the level of the role (35k to 40k) and the ability to earn an annual bonus of up to 6 % we offer some fantastic benefits; 25 days plus bank holidays and additional long service holidays, a contributory pension scheme and generous 6 x life assurance cover.
· Opportunity to take full ownership of site quality and make a real impact
· Supportive leadership team and collaborative environment
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
