qa manager Belfast, Northern Ireland
Job description
We have an exciting opportunity for a Quality Assurance Manager to join the team at our Belfast food production facility. The QA Manager will be responsible for managing the day-to-day quality function for the site, driving food safety and quality standards, and managing, designing, implementing and maintaining all management systems.
We are a relatively new company and are growing rapidly with consumer demand for our products. We currently produce a range of ready-to-heat products, with plans to expand our facility to include ready-to-eat products. We currently supply direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce store and business-to-business through warehouse, and independent van runs.
Freshly Prep’d is proud to be part of the Follow Leisure Group, a Northern Irish company that operates 8 locations and employs over 100 people locally.
We produce fresh convenience meals for time-conscious consumers and take great pride in doing so. We continuously try to innovate and bring excitement to the dinner table for our customers.
We are looking for a quality assurance manager that will take pride in their job and be proud to tell people they are part of our team.
This role will be split between the office and the shop floor, with the regular working hours being Monday – Friday 8am-5pm, although some flexibility with the needs of the business may be required.
As our QA Manager your key responsibilities will include:
- Responsible for assuring the safety, legality and quality of all products manufactured on the site, ensuring that the objectives and procedures detailed in the Quality Manuals are met, and taking appropriate corrective action where this is not achieved.
- Driving Food Safety and Quality Standards within the facility, including and through maintenance of the site's Quality Management System.
- Management of Third-Party Quality and Food Safety audits
- Internal auditing of the facility to Salsa and all governing body standards.
- Manage non-conformances and coordinate corrective actions on site.
- To provide technical input into product and process development to maximise the product yield and quality within the limits of the agreed product specification.
- Liaise with the company Technical Manager to ensure the company is up to date on all appropriate technical developments, current laws and regulations.
Job Requirements - Your essential ingredients:
- Previous experience in a QA Manager role
- Extensive knowledge of food safety legislation and good manufacturing practices
- Proven track record of team management, with the ability to manage various cross-functional team members.
- Strong communication, influencing and coaching skills
- Food Safety Level 4 would be desirable, but not essential.
- Competency in Microsoft Office Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
- Fluent in English with excellent communication skills across various media - verbal & written.
- Competent in problem-solving, team building, planning and decision-making.
Key Duties:
- Ensure compliance with all company policies concerning food safety, quality and legality.
- Organoleptic testing carried out and recorded for products, at goods in and from start to end of shelf life.
- Collect and manage product samples for microbiological analysis and shelf-life assessment.
- Management of customer complaints - Investigate to find potential root cause of customer/consumer complaints and close of out of complaints.
- Conducting internal audits, including weekly and monthly checks of hygiene and fabrication and monitoring the corrective actions required.
- Auditing of CCPs, hygiene, good manufacturing and cleaning practices on the production floor.
- Ensure production and quality records are accurate and maintained.
- Liaise with production managers and suppliers to ensure all raw materials, ingredients and packaging are supplied to the standards required by the company.
- Ensure traceability is maintained from intake to final product.
- Training of production operatives on the requirements of the quality management system.
- Address any technical and quality issues raised internally.
- Management of supplier approval.
- Administration of the company allergen and recipe database.
- Daily overview of product quality and record completion to ensure it complies with legislation and quality management system requirements.
- Management of office.
- Liaise with technical support re quality system.
- General office administration
What we would like to offer you:
- Salary between £30-40k dependant on candidate and experience
- An opportunity for career progression
- Free staff meals
- Perks reward card including discount at all Follow Leisure sites.
- Entry into monthly staff draw.
- Additional days leave for your birthday
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free on-site parking
- Staff referral programme Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement quality assurance policies and procedures
- Oversee the entire quality assurance process, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations
- Conduct regular audits to identify areas for improvement and develop corrective action plans
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to establish quality metrics and goals
- Analyze data and trends to identify patterns and areas of concern
- Lead investigations into quality issues, determine root causes, and implement preventive measures
- Develop and deliver training programs to enhance quality awareness and skills
- Stay up-to-date with industry advancements and best practices in quality assurance
- Manage a team of quality assurance professionals, providing guidance and support
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, manufacturing, quality management)
- Proven experience in quality assurance management or a related role
- Strong knowledge of quality management systems, methodologies, and tools
- Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams
- Detail-oriented mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire a team
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to join our team. We offer competitive compensation packages, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth. If you are passionate about ensuring product quality and driving continuous improvement, we would love to hear from you. Apply now!
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £30,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Private medical insurance
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Belfast, BT11 9AP: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Quality assurance: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
