QA Manager

Quality Assurance Manager 

We're looking for a QA Manager to join our Technical team at our Nottingham site, playing a key role in ensuring the highest standards of food safety, quality, legality and customer compliance.

About The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good - great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added-value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better.

We are backed by European private equity firm PAI Partners.

Location: Nottingham

Hours: Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm

Salary:  up to £50,000 per annum DOE

Purpose:

We are looking for a QA Manager to ensure the highest standards of food safety, legality and quality are consistently maintained across the manufacturing environment, enabling the production of safe, legal and high-quality products that meet customer specifications, comply with all relevant legislation, customer codes of practice and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

Key Duties, Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

• Coordinate and assist with BRC, customer and industry body unannounced audit preparation and act as an audit deputy when required 
• Ensure that the QA team are robustly structured to cover all production and factory operations 
• Coordinate and carry out internal audits (systems and GMP) with robust corrective action close outs 
• Continual assessment & improvement of the Manufacturing Site Standards – Fabric/Flow/Control 
• Manage the concession and non-conformance systems with appropriate corrective actions, on site and with suppliers 
• Manage and coordinate customer complaints investigations and corrective action close outs 
• Manage and coordinate factory swabbing regimes alongside the rest of the Technical team 
• Communicate with customers, suppliers and service providers 
• Manage and co-ordinate pest control site visits and corrective action close outs 
• Support the development team during the concept to launch process to ensure all new products, once launched, comply with all current systems 
• Manage and coordinate the overarching date code and packaging automated controls  
• Coordinate technical tasks to ensure the site is audit ready at any time 
• To support the factory technical manager and be actively involved during the time of any external audit or customer visit.  Either through shop floor presence or documentation acquisition/presentation. 
• To develop and maintain a framework to manage the delivery of a robust QA System. To deliver all goals to schedule.   
• Challenge, develop and maintain robust controls and procedures to ensure consistent Supervisory management of adherence to all QA procedures.  
• Actively monitor standards, to facilitate the achievement and maintenance of Grade ‘AA+’ BRC Status. 
• Keeping abreast of all current Technical Information, pertaining to a food-manufacturing environment and all associated with it.  To proactively contribute to development of new working methods/systems and actively participate in continuous improvement. 
• Part of the HACCP Team, to drive food safety standards within the company. 
• Monitor and control the following through self and / or QA Team 
• Effectively communicate Quality issues or changes to standards, across all departments
• Ensure all Supervisors are aware and accountable for the Role in the Quality System (Review Process to be defined)  
• Maintain food safety through coaching of colleagues at all levels  
• Drive improvements to GMP standards and processes 
• Control label changes / promotion / seasonal changes  
• Monitor and drive the QA team against the Technical KPIs 
• New product information to be communicated with all relevant teams and documentation is issued (QASs, product spec, trial documentation) 
• Review and report issues within the QA team and other departments – action driven. 
• Develop robust interface/communication lines between QA team members and other departments 
• Facilitate the implementation of effective system of working practices, ensuring the optimum delivery to the QA plan

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Qualifications:

• Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene 
• Essential Hygiene and Chemical Awareness 
• Level 3 HACCP 

Experience:

• Experience of working in a food manufacturing environment within a Technical function 
• Experience in leading a team 

Key Skills:

• Planning, organization and project management 
• Communicating at different levels of seniority 
• Presentation skills 
• Identifying solutions 
• Basic computing skills  
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel & Word 

Qualities:

• A passion for food 
• Problem solving 
• Enthusiasm to learn and grow 
• Self Motivated 
• Flexible attitude
• A team player with well-developed interpersonal skills

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing and career growth:

Financial & Lifestyle Benefits:

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes - including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• Annual leave with the option to purchase extra
• Holiday Discounts via our online retail platform
• Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in-store
• Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
• EV charging points - available at selected sites

Health & Wellbeing:

• 24/7 access to Grocery Aid for free financial, emotional, and practical support
• Physical Wellbeing Hub - free on-demand exercise classes, gym discounts
• Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of healthy recipes
• Online wellbeing support - from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
• Financial wellbeing tools - including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid

Career Growth & Development:

• Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS)
• Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role
• Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations
• Company Mentoring Scheme  to add depth and really support your career journey
• Recognition through Club Compleat rewards

Community & Culture:

• 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you
• Charity initiatives and fundraising events
• Team socials to connect and celebrate together
• Employee networks & support groups - including Women @ Compleat
• New baby gift for new parents

What You Should Know About How We Recruit

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe great teams are built on difference. We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and are able to be themselves at work.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage of our recruitment process, just let us know, we’ll support you — confidentially and with care.

We hire the best people for our roles, not the same people. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we focus on what you do and the impact you could make in our business. Our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and designed to give everyone an equal chance.

You’ll also find benefits that support people at every life stage, plus active internal networks — including Women @ Compleat, LGBTQIA+, and Neurodiversity