Job Description
Great career opportunities for a qualified and experienced Food Technical & Quality Officer to cover for maternity leave within a growing company at our Heston location working with the Ethical Butcher and R&P team.
This role is not desk based, you will be working within the butchery department. Meat manufacturing experience is essential for this role.
We are B Corp certified and committed to food safety, compliance and maintaining the highest industry standards.
Ethical Butcher is the countries leading supplier of regeneratively farmed meat. We have recently moved to a larger facility near Heathrow. Operating for over 10 years the business has grown steadily over that time. We are looking for a member to join our quality team working with a highly experienced Technical Manager overseeing all aspects of the butchery process to ensure consistent quality and safety.
Working within the butchery department we are looking for a hard working candidate who takes pride in their work and wants to be part of growing company with excellent job progression.
The Food Technical & Quality Officer will be responsible for maintaining and developing the site’s Food Safety certification, ensuring compliance with UK/EU food safety legislation, customer requirements, and internal quality standards. The role will support continuous improvement of technical systems within a fast-paced environment.
The main tasks of the job are:
Compliance
- Maintain and continuously improve the site’s Food Safety certification.
- Lead and coordinate audits (internal and external).
- Ensure full compliance with SALSA standards, HACCP, TACCP, VACCP, and food safety legislation. (Working towards BRC)
- Manage corrective actions and non-conformances from audits.
Food Safety & Quality Management
- Maintain and review the HACCP plan.
- Conduct internal audits and GMP inspections.
- Manage traceability exercises and mock recalls.
- Oversee supplier approval and monitoring processes.
- Monitor microbiological testing programmes and trend analysis.
- Ensure accurate product specifications and technical documentation.
Factory & Operational Support
- Provide technical guidance to production and warehouse teams.
- Support temperature control, hygiene standards, and pest control management.
- Assist with complaint investigations and root cause analysis.
- Drive food safety culture across the business.
Documentation & Reporting
- Maintain QMS documentation, policies, and procedures.
- Ensure up-to-date risk assessments and SOPs.
- Prepare technical reports for senior management and customers.
- Keep abreast of regulatory changes affecting the meat industry.
Customer & Supplier Liaison
- Handle technical queries from customers.
- Complete customer technical questionnaires.
- Support customer audits.
- Liaise with suppliers regarding specifications and compliance documentation.
Required knowledge and skills:
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in Food Science, Food Technology, or related field.
- Experience working in a meat manufacturing or wholesale meat environment.
- Strong working knowledge of BRC Food Safety Standard.
- HACCP Level 3 (minimum).
- Internal auditing qualification.
- Knowledge of UK/EU food safety legislation.
- Excellent documentation and organisational skills.
- Strong attention to detail.
Desirable
- Previous experience leading BRC audits.
- TACCP & VACCP training.
- Level 4 Food Safety qualification.
- Experience with retailer standards (e.g., Tesco, M&S, etc.).
- Knowledge of red meat cutting plants and cold chain logistics.
DRIVING LICENSE ESSENTIAL
Our people are at the heart of what we do. It’s important that our workforce reflects the communities from which we employ and we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and communities.
We also recognise the importance of a good work / life balance, so we endeavour to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares whenever this is possible. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you wish to explore.
Pay: £30,000.00-£36,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Experience:
- meat manufacturing: 2 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
