Food Safety & Quality Manager

At Mash Direct, our aim is simple: to bring the taste of great food, rooted in six generations of farming, to every table, nurturing a stronger connection between people, their food, and the land it comes from.

We’re here to be the trusted source of freshly prepared vegetable side dishes, honouring our heritage while growing responsibly for future generations. How we do that matters. We work collaboratively, act with purpose, support one another, and take ownership of the results we deliver.

We also believe in looking after our people. We’re building a culture where everyone’s voice is heard, good leadership is developed, and learning and growth are part of everyday work. Supporting each other and sharing knowledge is just as important as producing great food.

If you care about good food, honest work, and being part of a team that does things properly and want to help shape the future of how we buy, Mash Direct is a place where you’ll belong.

What you’ll be doing

Your role will include:

• Own food safety and product quality standards across the site, day to day and long term
• Leading and developing the QA team, and embedding a strong quality culture across our operations
• Managing customer and retailer audits, technical due diligence and third-party certification (BRCGS, retailer codes of practice)
• Investigating quality issues, non-conformances and customer complaints, driving root cause analysis and corrective action
• Protecting brand reputation through robust traceability and supplier assurance
• Own the Mash Direct’s product and environmental testing programme
• Working closely with our operations to build quality in at every stage, not just check it at the end

Food Safety & Product Quality

• Own and maintain Mash Direct’s food safety management system in line with BRCGS and retailer requirements
• Lead HACCP reviews and ensure food safety risks are identified, controlled and documented
• Drive a culture of quality ownership across our operations, not just within the technical team

Testing & Microbiology

• Own Mash Direct’s product and environmental testing programme, ensuring testing regimes are fit for purpose and risk‑based
• Oversee environmental monitoring (swabbing programmes, hygiene zoning) and act decisively on adverse trends
• Review and interpret microbiological results, identifying trends before they become issues
• Manage relationships with external testing laboratories, ensuring turnaround, accuracy and scope meet business needs
• Ensure shelf‑life testing and validation is robust and defensible for retailer and due diligence purposes
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant microbiological standards and emerging pathogen risks for prepared and fresh produce

Audit & Certification

• Lead preparation for and management of BRCGS and other third‑party certification audits
• Manage retailer technical audits and due diligence visits, acting as the primary technical contact
• Maintain audit‑ready standards year‑round, not just ahead of scheduled visits
• Close out audit findings and corrective actions to agreed timelines

Non‑Conformance & Complaint Management

• Lead investigation of quality non‑conformances, customer complaints and product issues
• Drive robust root cause analysis and effective, lasting corrective action
• Track trends in quality data to identify and address systemic issues before they amplify
• Report quality performance and key issues to senior management

Integrity, Brand & Supplier Assurance

• Protect product integrity through robust traceability systems and supplier quality assurance
• Work with Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure incoming materials meet quality and provenance standards
• Act as a guardian of brand reputation, understanding that every quality decision reflects on the Mash Direct name
• Support NPD with quality and food safety input on new product development

  What we offer

  • Secure, permanent employment
  • Supportive working environment
  • Training & Development through our Growth Academy
  • Free on‑site parking
  • Staff discounts on all Mash Direct products
  • Cycle to Work scheme

  What we’re looking for

  • Proven quality management experience in food manufacturing, ideally fresh produce, or prepared foods
  • Strong working knowledge of BRCGS, HACCP and retailer technical standards
  • Robust understanding of testing and microbiology, such as environmental monitoring, product testing regimes, micro trending and interpretation of results
  • Experience managing retailer and certification audits with confidence
  • A leader who can hold the line on standards while working practically with our operations

  Job Description

  Job Title Food Safety & Quality Manager

  Department Technical

  Working Hours 40 hours per week

  Employment Type Full time, permanent

  Reports to Head of Technical

  Job Purpose

  The Food Safety & Quality Manager is responsible for food safety and product quality across the Mash Direct site, ensuring every product leaving the factory meets the standards our customers and consumers expect. The role protects the reputation of Mash Direct through robust quality systems, strong audit performance, and a genuinely embedded quality culture.

  Key Responsibilities

  Food Safety & Product Quality

  • Own and maintain Mash Direct’s food safety management system in line with BRCGS and retailer requirements
  • Lead HACCP reviews and ensure food safety risks are identified, controlled and documented
  • Drive a culture of quality ownership across our operations, not just within the technical team

  Testing & Microbiology

  • Own Mash Direct’s product and environmental testing programme, ensuring testing regimes are fit for purpose and risk‑based
  • Oversee environmental monitoring (swabbing programmes, hygiene zoning) and act decisively on adverse trends
  • Review and interpret microbiological results, identifying trends before they become issues
  • Manage relationships with external testing laboratories, ensuring turnaround, accuracy and scope meet business needs
  • Ensure shelf‑life testing and validation is robust and defensible for retailer and due diligence purposes
  • Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant microbiological standards and emerging pathogen risks for prepared and fresh produce

  Audit & Certification

  • Lead preparation for and management of BRCGS and other third‑party certification audits
  • Manage retailer technical audits and due diligence visits, acting as the primary technical contact
  • Maintain audit‑ready standards year‑round, not just ahead of scheduled visits
  • Close out audit findings and corrective actions to agreed timelines

  Non‑Conformance & Complaint Management

  • Lead investigation of quality non‑conformances, customer complaints and product issues
  • Drive robust root cause analysis and effective, lasting corrective action
  • Track trends in quality data to identify and address systemic issues before they amplify
  • Report quality performance and key issues to senior management

  Integrity, Brand & Supplier Assurance

  • Protect product integrity through robust traceability systems and supplier quality assurance
  • Work with Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure incoming materials meet quality and provenance standards
  • Act as a guardian of brand reputation, understanding that every quality decision reflects on the Mash Direct name
  • Support NPD with quality and food safety input on new product development

  Person Specification

  • Proven food safety and quality management experience in a food manufacturing environment, ideally prepared foods or fresh produce
  • Strong knowledge of BRCGS, HACCP and retailer technical/quality standards
  • Robust, hands‑on understanding of testing and microbiology, including environmental monitoring, product testing regimes and interpretation of micro results
  • Confidence managing external laboratory relationships and shelf‑life testing
  • Experience leading retailer and certification audits
  • Strong root cause analysis and problem‑solving skills
  • Confident communicator, able to influence at production floor and senior management level

  Mash Direct is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

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