Technical Assistant

Welcome to Hovis. We are the proud guardians of over 130 years of baking experience that make up our iconic and much-loved brand. We produce bread and bakery products created with Hovis goodness at the heart of each. We deliver around 1.3million loaves, every day of the week throughout the UK and Ireland, where we also make Mothers Pride and Ormo products.

We are 2,800 people working within 8 bakeries, 1 flour mill, and 2 regional distribution centres across the UK. Our success is a result of the hard work of our people; they are experts in their field whether it’s baking, manufacturing, logistics, engineering, or the many departments within the central functions team based in our head office in High Wycombe. We are a values-led business and expect our colleagues to live, breathe, and embed Quality, Accountability, and Trust into their ways of working.

Role Purpose:

To support the Technical department in the management of the compliance, systems, food safety culture, providing governance of food safety, quality, process, legal and customer requirements. To work with Site Technical and Operations teams ensure the efficient production of safe and legal food.

Key accountabilities include:

• Promote and maintain high standards of food safety culture, promote and challenge site GMP standards including Technical, Food Safety, Quality, Compliance and Business values.
• Support with functional and cross-functional projects and continuous improvement activities.
• Support the Technical department and site with document creation and review which may include records, procedures, and communication boards.
• Complete audits on bakery GMP standards & Technical compliance such as G&HP, CCP, Process controls, Canteen, Mobile phone audits, paperwork completion etc. as per schedule. Including action logging and chase closure within given timeframe.
• To assist the Compliance Manager with complaint investigations and trending of complaints data and to lead the complaints (Right first time) meetings.
• Lead for Site Traceability exercise – responsibility for storage and retrieval of production records to aid traceability
• Support Compliance Manager and Technical department on ad hoc tasks and projects.
• Support the department to ensure the microbiological, finished product and environmental sampling schedules are complied with, including compiling and despatching micro samples as required according to relevant schedules and logging results, and taking corrective action for out of spec (OOS) results.
• Managing raw material / process non-conformances and ensuring timely close out by all departments.
• Managing the mould free end of life shelf life testing and air quality system – including trending and communication of results to the wider business and seeking out areas of improvements.
• Represent and deputise for the technical department when required.
• To coordinate calibration of compliance equipment as per schedule - To verify the accuracy of the handheld temperature probes, temperature-controlled storage equipment, weighing scales, and metal detectors at a defined frequency.
• Assisting with Operator training as appropriate; including refresher training, CCP competency verification, Critical Control Points, HQE / LCL assessment where required.
• Deliver continuous improvement of both product quality and standards on site.
• Attend SIC meetings as requested.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Previous experience working in food manufacturing in a quality/ technical role.
• Attention to detail with a precise and accurate approach
• Exceptional organisational and communication skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure.
• Ability to influence and challenge, be a confident, supportive and capable individual to offer a professional and can do approach
• Strong IT skills with a working knowledge of Microsoft office suite and Google platforms
• Team player with a proactive approach and initiative to consistently reach and exceed customer and quality standards in a fast changing environment.
• Knowledge of food legislation and food safety principles
• Able to demonstrate a flexible response to role responsibilities.
• Committed to incorporating the Hovis values of Quality, Accountability and Trust in day to day functions

Desirable:

• Food qualification would be preferred but is not essential. FMCG industry experience. Experience with retailers and 3rd party audits/BRC standards. HACCP qualification. Internal audit experience

Why work for us and our benefits:

At Hovis, we understand the importance of looking after our colleagues, so we provide a variety of benefits in addition to their salaries. The benefits we provide at Hovis are as varied as the people who receive them but they are offered with the intention of creating value to them personally over and above their salaries

• There is a range of colleague benefits available, which individuals can select based on their needs. Our benefits scheme is called Hovis Choice, which offers a variety of savings and cashback offers on day to day living and much more including eyecare vouchers, and a healthcare scheme to suit everyone. It also includes our Cycle to Work scheme where you can obtain a brand new bike at a significant saving. We offer competitive annual leave entitlement and flexibility where possible in order to create a healthy work-life balance. We celebrate loyalty with our generous long service and colleague recognition schemes. We offer three levels of pensions

Hovis values diversity and is committed to promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. Every job applicant, employee or worker will be treated fairly and equally with dignity and respect regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, social class, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, union membership, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.