Role Purpose
To lead and manage all site compliance activities, ensuring ABP Penston consistently meets food safety, legality, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements. The Compliance Manager will be responsible for maintaining robust compliance systems, supporting the delivery of technical standards across the business, and ensuring continued alignment with ABP Group policies, BRCGS requirements, and key customer expectations, particularly those of Marks & Spencer and Tesco.
The role will drive a proactive compliance culture, develop technical capability within the team, and provide support and leadership to the wider technical function to ensure the site remains audit-ready and customer-focused at all times.
Key Accountabilities
Compliance, Food Safety & Legality
Lead the site's food safety, legality, integrity, and compliance agenda.
Maintain, review, and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System, HACCP programme, allergen management controls, risk assessments, and compliance procedures.
Ensure full compliance with UK legislation, customer Codes of Practice, ABP Group standards, and BRCGS requirements.
Drive implementation of changes in legislation, retailer standards, and emerging compliance requirements.
Customer & Retailer Management
Act as the lead site contact for customer compliance activities, with particular focus on Marks & Spencer and Tesco standards and requirements.
Ensure customer COP requirements, quality attributes, specifications, KPI targets, and reporting obligations are effectively managed and communicated across the site.
Build strong working relationships with customer technical teams through professional communication, transparency, and consistent service delivery.
Support customer visits, audits, benchmarking exercises, and technical reviews.
Audit & Compliance Assurance
Lead and coordinate all customer, third-party, regulatory, and internal audits.
Drive a culture of continuous audit readiness across all departments.
Ensure timely completion and verification of corrective and preventative actions arising from audits, inspections, complaints, and non-conformances.
Monitor site compliance performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Technical Function Support
Provide day-to-day leadership and support to the Technical team, ensuring effective delivery of technical objectives and site priorities.
Support the Site Technical Manager in delivering strategic technical initiatives and business objectives.
Work collaboratively with Operations, Engineering, Planning, Procurement, and NPD teams to ensure technical requirements are understood and achieved.
Deputise for the Site Technical Manager when required.
Team Development & Leadership
Develop, coach, and mentor members of the Technical and Compliance teams to build capability, succession planning, and technical expertise.
Identify training needs and implement development plans to improve knowledge of food safety, compliance, customer requirements, and auditing skills.
Support the creation of a high-performing team culture that promotes accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
Drive food safety and quality awareness across all functions through effective training and coaching activities.
Data, KPIs & Continuous Improvement
Analyse compliance, quality, and food safety data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Monitor and report key performance indicators relating to customer complaints, audit performance, non-conformances, customer standards, and compliance metrics.
Lead investigations into technical issues and implement effective corrective and preventative actions.
Support site continuous improvement initiatives to enhance compliance performance and customer satisfaction.
Food Safety Culture
Champion a positive food safety and quality culture throughout the site.
Engage teams at all levels to promote ownership of food safety, legality, quality, and customer expectations.
Support behavioural and cultural improvement programmes that strengthen compliance performance.
Skills & Experience
Significant experience within a food manufacturing environment supplying major UK retailers.
Strong working knowledge of Marks & Spencer and Tesco standards, codes of practice, and customer engagement processes.
Excellent understanding of BRCGS requirements, food safety management systems, HACCP, and relevant UK legislation.
Proven experience leading customer, third-party, and regulatory audits.
Strong leadership and people development skills, with experience coaching and developing technical teams.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement.
Qualifications
HACCP Level 4
Food Safety Level 4
Lead Auditor Qualification
TACCP / VACCP
BRCGS Issue 9
Degree or equivalent qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, or related discipline (desirable)
