Who are we, and what do we do?
You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.
We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door – meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.
A little about our Dudley site:
Our advanced manufacturing site in Dudley, West Midlands, employs over 350 talented individuals who help to supply some of the UK’s largest supermarkets and popular restaurants!
Are you an experienced and competent Technical Manager within the food industry? Are you driven by high standards and leading results?
We are recruiting for an experienced and qualified Technical Manager to support and play a key role at our advanced manufacturing site in Dudley
We are a diverse, forward-thinking business, so we are looking for someone who can think outside of the box, has a proven ability to build effective relationships with internal and external contacts and encompasses a natural inquisitive nature.
Purpose of the role:
As Technical Manager you will lead and develop the technical function on site, ensure legal compliance, food safety and adherence to customer specifications.
You will be an active member of both the site senior management team and the group technical team and champion the Avara Foods Quality proposition.
You will maintain certification and accreditation with all relevant licensing bodies and retailers to ensure continuity of supply by leading on site audits and through a process of continuous improvement.
Operating Environment & Working Hours
Working hours are Monday – Friday 08:00 to 17.00 but flexibility required to cover later shifts as and when required.
This role will be both factory and office based, with regular requirement to go into the factory environment, which is noisy and refrigerated in some areas.
Your key responsibilities as a Technical Manager will include:
- Lead, motivate, and develop the Technical and Hygiene teams to deliver consistent standards of performance and compliance ensuring effective recruitment, induction, training, and development of all team members.
- Oversee the Quality Management System (QMS), assuring it remains effective, continually improved, and compliant with all legal, customer, and company standards.
- Oversee traceability systems, assuring full visibility of all ingredients, packaging, and finished products, and verifying that recall coordination and mock recall exercises are undertaken as scheduled.
- Assure the effectiveness of site hygiene activities and cleaning verification as part of overall food safety management, ensuring hygiene outcomes support product safety and audit readiness.
- Lead or support, as appropriate, all external and customer audits (e.g. BRCGS, Red Tractor, and retailer-specific), maintaining continuous audit readiness and site certifications.
- Maintain oversight of contractor and service standards, including hygiene and waste partners, assuring performance aligns with site and group compliance expectations.
- Oversee the internal audit programme, assuring audits are completed to schedule, non-conformances are closed out promptly, and corrective actions are verified for effectiveness.
- Review audit outcomes and investigate non-conformances, assuring root causes are addressed and improvements sustained.
- Oversee customer and third-party portals, assuring they are accurately maintained and updated in a timely manner.
- Oversee site technical KPI reporting, assuring data accuracy, timely submission, and clear communication of performance trends.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, auditors, certification bodies, and regulatory or enforcement agencies, acting as the site liaison to ensure effective communication, cooperation, and record keeping.
- Oversee the management of customer complaints and non-conformances, assuring effective root cause analysis, timely implementation of corrective and preventive actions, and verification that outcomes are sustained.
- Ensure corrective and preventive actions are shared centrally to prevent similar non-conformances occurring at other sites.
- Oversee the interface between NPD and Operations, assuring that all new or modified products, packaging, and processes are effectively validated, launched, and monitored
- Deliver the site Technical budget, controlling spend on laboratory testing, hygiene chemicals, pest control, and consumables.
- Support site capital and improvement projects from a technical and compliance perspective.
What we are looking for:
Essential
- Experience in working in a food manufacturing environment or fast paced organisation at Technical Manager level
- Knowledge of HACCP (Level 3 minimum), BRC and other food safety management systems
- The successful candidate will have strong Technical knowledge and a minimum of 3-5 years managing a team
- Food related degree or higher level qualification and committed to professional development
- Leadership skills and experience developing and engaging teams
- Proactive champion for food safety and quality
- It is of importance that you can manage your workload, be proactive and enjoy achieving results both personally but also for the benefit of the site team and the business
- Your style will fit well with the company if you are used to being flexible, are able to prioritise, communicate effectively and can develop relationships
Desirable
- Experience within poultry industry
- Advanced HACCP / Food Hygiene Level 3
- Lead assessor auditor qualification
- Knowledge and experience of environmental matters
- Knowledge and experience of major retailers or food service customers
What’s in it for you?
As a Technical Manager you will enjoy a secure, supportive and progressive working environment, where your contribution and achievements will be recognised and rewarded.
We offer comprehensive training as well as continuous development as you build your career with us. You can also look forward to benefits that amongst other things include the following:
- 33 Days Holiday
- 6% Pension
- Life Insurance
- Various lifestyle benefits, including wellbeing resources and shopping perks and discounts
If you’re ready to work in a dynamic environment alongside talented people who take pride in delivering great results, apply today!
We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.