Technical Manager

Technical Manager - Fruit Farm

Travel: UK & International -

Full-time - Monday to Friday flex hours but core hours 7am / 8am - 5pm - occassional weekend

Responsibilities

On behalf of our client, an expansive fruit grower in Kent, I am seeking a Technical Manager to oversee compliance, quality assurance, and supplier relationships.

You'll design and hit primary targets to make sure the fruit farm is meeting all the main stream retailer customer accreditation demands like BRC, Global gap etc along with day-to-day management of the technical aspects of the supply and demand of the fruit packhouse.

The role Technical Manager reports directly to the business owner and will be part of the SLT, giving the right candidate an opportunity to make a very positive impact on the business as they expand their offering.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical background, ideally HACCP, be a strategic thinker with proven excellent leadership abilities.

Ideally, you'll be qualified in Agricultural / Horticulture or come with 5+ years’ experience in relevant field.

Key Responsibilities:

• Fruit Packhouse Compliance & Quality Control - Oversee technical standards, conduct internal audits, and ensure packhouse operations align with BRC, HACCP, and retailer requirements.
• Supplier & Packhouse Audits - Audit supplier sites and fruit packhouse processes, provide feedback, and implement action plans to improve technical performance.
• Customer & Retailer Liaison - Work closely with retail customer technologists, respond to technical queries, and manage quality issue resolution.
• Product Quality & Claims Prevention - Analyse quality data, address technical challenges, and collaborate with the packhouse team to reduce rejections and claims.
• Training & Team Development - Develop and implement internal training programs, including video tutorials, to enhance technical knowledge.
• Food Safety & Legal Compliance - Ensure adherence to food safety, pesticide regulations, and hygiene legislation across all operations.

What We’re Looking For:

• Experience in fruit or food packhouse operations, technical compliance, or quality assurance within the fresh produce or food industry.
• Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with colleagues to identify and resolve processes and practices.
• Strong understanding of all aspects of product flow, from production through to customer delivery
• Strong knowledge of BRC, HACCP, food safety, and customer compliance requirements.
• Familiar with BRC, TPPS, Field to fork, Assured Produce, Organic certification
• Experience and involvement in writing and maintenance of Quality Manual
• Ability to audit suppliers & packhouses, analyse technical data, and drive improvements.
• Excellent communication & stakeholder management skills for working with suppliers, customers, and internal teams.
• UK Driving Licence & proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).

It's your opportunity to take a leading role in maintaining technical excellence across our clients’ packhouse and supplier network!