Senior Technical Manager

We are a leading supplier in the fresh produce industry, committed to delivering the highest quality products to our customers. Our focus is on sustainability, innovation, and excellence in every part of the supply chain. We are seeking a skilled and experienced Senior Technical Manager to join our dynamic team and play a crucial role in maintaining product quality, safety, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Relations

• Act as the primary technical contact for food safety and quality, ensuring customer requirements are met and communicated effectively across the site.
• Provide frontline response to technical queries, customer complaints, product rejections, and crisis situations through direct liaison with customers.
• Proactively protect and maintain the company’s brand reputation by delivering safe, legal, high-quality products that meet customer standards for ethics and integrity.
• Represent the company at customer meetings, conferences, and technical reviews to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones.
• Provide technical guidance to Commercial, Procurement, Operations, and Compliance teams to ensure seamless communication and collaboration across the business.

Quality Assurance

• Regularly review product quality, manage improvements in KPIs, and ensure compliance with customer and internal standards.
• Lead and manage key projects within fruit categories, collaborating with leading institutes and centres of excellence to deliver on customer needs.

Product Oversight

• Oversee product launches and performance reviews, managing specification creation and maintenance for both raw materials and finished goods.
• Provide technical advice to ensure the site consistently delivers products to specification, achieving "right first time" standards and driving consistent product performance.
• Visit and communicate with fruit sources and growers to ensure compliance with company and customer policies, and to ensure delivery of the best possible product in terms of variety, quality, size, and colour.
• Drive business sourcing decisions both pre-season and during the season, ensuring seamless management of seasonal transitions to deliver superior product quality.
• Continually assess the supplier base and stay informed about the competition to maintain a competitive edge.
• Lead and participate in product benchmarking exercises, ensuring delivery of top-tier product standards.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with site teams to implement corrective actions for any non-conformities, driving continuous improvements in quality and safety.
• Collaborate with the Commercial team to understand market needs, research new varieties, and develop innovative packaging formats.

People Management

• Manage and mentor the Product Manager, ensuring effective communication between commercial and operational teams.
• Supervise the Technical Assistant, providing guidance and fostering a positive team environment focused on excellence and continuous improvement.

• Proven experience in a senior technical role within the fresh produce or food industry.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, quality standards, and compliance regulations.
• Experience of Major Retail customers.
  
• Leadership experience, with the ability to mentor and develop team members.
• HACCP Certification & Advanced Food Safety Qualification
• Industry recognised technical qualification (HND/Degree or equivalent) is desirable 

AMFRESH UK source the freshest fruit via a global network of farming partners to focus on delivering top experiences for consumers by sorting, processing, packing, storing and shipping product for the UK’s leading retailers.

We deliver the next generation of fresh produce varietal innovation to retail leaders in the UK. With strong values and the highest ethical standards, the group has a strong stewardship for the progress of the food industry that will benefit consumers, communities, partners and the land.

We are committed to deliver exceptional, high-quality fresh produce sourced from the best farms and origins and implement rigorous sustainable, technical and quality control standards so as to make people smile across the world.