Quality Systems Manager

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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 Telford site:

Our advanced manufacturing site in Telford, is one of our main processing facilities, processing up to 1.5 million birds per week. There are over 1,200 talented people employed at our Telford site, helping us to deliver high quality products to our customers and making the business a trusted leader in fresh foods.

We've recently invested £2.3 million in technology and equipment, making it one of the most advanced food manufacturing facilities in the UK.

About the Role:

Are you passionate about Quality Systems? Looking for a new challenge? Do you have experience or qualifications in Quality Management?

As an inclusive, forward-thinking business, we take pride in our approach to investing in our People and Processes across Avara Foods and are looking for a highly competent and motivated Quality Systems Manager to join our Technical Team, based at our Telford site.

The role is officebased, however you will be required to spend time in the factory so you'll be exposed a fast-paced, dynamic FMCG factory environment which is noisy and refrigerated in some areas. As a Quality Systems Manager you'll be working Monday to Friday 08.00-17.00.

What will you be doing as a Quality Systems Manager at Avara?

As a Quality Systems Manager, you will help to maintain and champion the company Quality Management System (QMS) to meet Avara Foods, client, and legal requirements. To work with technical teams within Avara manufacturing facilities to ensure that the QMS system is being maintained consistently and to provide metrics to track compliance and performance across the business.

What will your key responsibilities include?

• To add value to the Avara business through enabling us to demonstrate due diligence in respect of food safety and quality.
• To act as the site champion, ensuring sites (Telford & Wednesbury) adheres to the requirement of the site's Quality Management System and customer codes of practice.
• Mentor the Technical Graduate for Wednesbury site and Telford Degree Apprentice.
• Responsible for the day-to-day management, review and development of the facility's food safety, quality, regulatory systems, including GFSI/BRC facility accreditation criteria and customer requirements, working closely with technical services and the compliance teams.
• Developing and monitoring the necessary systems to ensure supplier assurance and HACCP are maintained and updated as directed by the Technical Manager.
• The role will involve ensuring risk assessments and non-conformances are fully documented and reported as appropriate to maintain control and compliance with quality systems.
• Able to carry out allergen risk assessment. Identify and action allergen validation requirements; able to verify as satisfactory. Present allergen management during audits.
• Conduct gap analysis on new cop/ guidelines / standards issued by customers or third parties and advise site technical functions of subsequent requirements to co-ordinate and communicate information with respect to standards, procedures, and customers, to ensure the business is protected, represented and compliant with customer and company policies and codes of practice. Briefing changes to the facility.
• Key Member of the HACCP team. Maintaining the systems within the HACCP plan and the site food safety risk assessments. Coordinate HACCP reviews and meetings.
• Ensures that the facility's food safety quality and regulatory system auditing and customer product testing requirements are maintained consistently to the specified frequency and level of detail required
• Co-ordinate activities, with the Technical Manager, to maintain support and challenge the company management system and crisis manual/ procedures, including product recall.
• To take responsibility for controlled documents. Issuing new or amended documents, ensuring that superseded documents are removed from use. Leading the management of change process in relation to procedures and policies.
• To manage an internal audit schedule based on risk assessment and accompanying reports, including corrective action. Schedule internal audits to meet third party and customer requirements, verifying the completion of corrective actions to agreed timescales. Carry out internal auditing against the prerequisites to confirm compliance to the required standards.
• To provide regular reports regarding the status of the audit schedule and status of non-conformity raised to enable identification of remedial actions necessary to rectify non-conformances on an ongoing basis
• To provide, with the Technical Manager, in house instruction and coaching of internal auditors on site and review this on a regular basis. This must include the risk rating applied to non-conformances raised.
• Verify the non-conformance records from site visits and audits and ensure that these are closed out satisfactorily and root cause analysis has been completed.
• Prepares for and participates in facility audits and visits made by customers, third-party organisations, and enforcement authority representatives. Preparing and reviewing documentation required for customer/3rd party audits. Leading audits as required.
• Liaising with customers, dealing with information requests in a professional and timely manner
• Understand the principle of food fraud, key drivers and to be aware of recent and current issues. Aware of potential supply chain issues. Aware of the Vulnerability risk assessment and able to participate in TACCP review.
• Work closely with the Technical Manager in coordinating the implementation of site food safety culture.
• To provide cover for technical colleagues where necessary.
• Deputise for other members of the technical team when necessary.

What you'll need to be successful:

• Technical, legal, food process technology and food industry knowledge / experience
• Experience of BRC accreditation plus retailer audits
• Qualified HACCP practitioner, HACCP training (Level 3 or above)
• Good base level of knowledge of typical customer requirements
• Trained auditor
• Understanding of document control
• Have a basic understanding of microbiology and the potential consequences to food safety and quality with an awareness of key pathogens relevant to site
• Understanding of product identification & traceability
• Knowledge of QA principles, practices & procedures
• Can deliver training, trained trainer
• Good computer literacy with general use of Microsoft outlook and excel. Can present data in graphs / charts.
• Ability to interpret and analyze data

The benefits of working for Avara Foods:

As a Quality Systems 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 long-term career with us. You can also look forward to benefits that amongst other things, include the following:

• From £37,000 per annum DOE
• 31 days holiday allowance
• Secure contract with long term career development opportunities
• Straight forward pension contribution of 6%
• Life assurance scheme
• Subsidised staff canteen serving hot food
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salaried Advance Finance
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme
• Access to our Employee Benefit Scheme, which includes unlimited remote GP appointments and unlimited mental health sessions, physiotherapy sessions, medical second opinion consultation, and other discounts and perks, such as savings & discounts on weekly costs.

*Ts & Cs apply

What happens after you apply for this role?

After you've applied, you'll be contacted in due course by a Resourcing Officer at our Telford site, to discuss your application and CV further. There'll also be a chance for you to ask us any questions you may have about the role.

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.

INDHP #TheAvaraWay