Technical excellence matters. Audit ready. Great leadership.

Cotteswold Dairy are looking for an experienced Interim Technical Manager to start immediately, supporting the buinsess and leading food safety, quality and legal compliance at our Tewkesbury operation while we integrate a new permanent Technical Manager into the role. You will own our technical standards, including BRCGS, HACCP, external and customer audits, quality systems, technical compliance, complaints, laboratory oversight and audit readiness. You will also lead a Technical and Laboratory function of approximately 15 colleagues, including the Laboratory Manager and Supervisor, Laboratory Technicians, Quality & Technical Assistants, and Technical Administrator.

You must be technically credible and expereinced within food manufacturing and confident leading BRCGS audits, HACCP and food-safety systems. You should be comfortable challenging poor standards or behaviours without creating a blame culture.

Key responsibilities

• Lead food safety, quality assurance and technical/legal compliance across the site during the interim period.
• Lead preparation for and hosting of BRCGS, customer, accreditation and other relevant audits, including Halal requirements where applicable.
• Maintain HACCP and food-safety management systems.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Oversee laboratory operations.
• Coach, support and develop the permanent technical manager and members of the wider Technical/Laboratory team.

About you

You will bring:

• Significant Technical/Quality experience in food manufacturing/FMCG.
• Strong practical knowledge of BRCGS and personal experience of external audits.
• Experience in a high-risk/high-care, chilled or comparable food environment.
• HACCP Level 3 and Food Safety Level 3.
• Internal/external auditing experience.
• Previous management and leadership experience.
• Strong problem-solving, root-cause, communication and influencing skills.
• A food-related Degree/HND or equivalent.

Location: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, close to M5 Junction 9 and commutable from Cheltenham, Gloucester, Worcester, Evesham, Pershore, Malvern, Ledbury and surrounding areas.