Technical Manager, Food Safety

About the role

The Technical Manager oversees the execution of technical assessments, audits, and certification activities, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and high-quality deliverables. This role leads a team of technical staff and contract auditors, providing coaching, workload oversight, and performance feedback to ensure smooth project delivery. The Technical Manager collaborates closely with quality, program, and client-facing teams to resolve escalated issues and maintain adherence to standards and accreditation requirements. In addition, this role supports operational improvements, onboarding, and development of procedures to drive efficiency and strengthen technical performance across multiple programs.

Responsibilities

• Technical Management
  • Oversee and manage a portfolio of complex audits, ensuring technical quality, compliance, and timely delivery.
  • Serve as lead auditor on select high-risk, high-visibility, or strategically important audits as needed.
  • Review and approve audit plans, technical reports, verification statements, and closure of findings.
  • Provide technical guidance and escalation support to quality assurance and scheme owners, as appropriate.
  • Ensure appropriate technical resourcing and expertise are applied to each engagement.
• Business Development and Strategic Technical Support
  • Maintain current and thorough understanding of relevant accreditation standards through conference attendance and trainings.
  • Act as point of contact for accreditation requests and communications, including comments on draft normative documents.
  • Lead internal audit process, ensure nonconformities are closed.
  • Develop and implement procedures to increase quality and efficiency of auditing services.
  • Develop work instructions, internal guidance, and staff training materials.
  • Oversee program complaints procedure and investigations involving accreditation bodies.
  • Develop and ensure program procedures and documents comply with current accreditation standards.
• Program Quality and Development
  • Ensure program compliance with SCS quality management systems, accreditation requirements, and standards.
  • Lead identification, investigation, and resolution of quality issues, non-conformities, and complaints.
  • Recommend, implement, and innovate program changes to improve quality, efficiency, and scalability.
  • Oversee audit operations, workload planning, and resource allocation.
  • Maintain current working knowledge of standards, methodologies, protocols, and regulatory requirements.
• Team Leadership and Client Management
  • Provide direct people management for staff and contract auditors, including performance management, coaching, and development.
  • Conduct formal and informal performance reviews and address performance issues.
  • Set clear expectations, objectives, and priorities for direct reports.
  • Promote a positive, collaborative, and respectful work environment and resolve conflicts as needed.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and capability development of technical staff.
• Client Management and Team Support
  • Maintain current understanding of relevant scheme requirements.
  • Conduct technical report reviews, make certification decisions, and manage certification process.
  • Issue and support process to approve suspensions, terminations, and reinstatements of certificates.
  • Attend trainings to maintain qualification to conduct audits, reviews, and certification decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Food science, food technology, or related discipline and 6+ years professional experience in food safety, quality assurance, food manufacturing, auditing, certification, or related field.
• 2+ years of people leadership experience.
• Strong customer service and teamwork skills.
• Well-developed organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize numerous tasks effectively.
• Strong computer skills, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and database systems.
• Well-developed organization skills, with the ability to prioritize numerous tasks effectively.
• Strong customer services and teamwork skills.
• Initiative, good judgement, and ability to work independently under pressure in a changing environment.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
• Auditing SQF Systems or Auditing the SQF Code Requirements.
• BRCGS Lead Auditor Training (Food Safety, Packaging Materials, and/or Storage & Distribution).
• HACCP Course (HACCP Alliance) - 2 days.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in related field.
• Fluency with electronic communication media as well as database management systems, including programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, FileMaker, Salesforce, and PowerPoint.
• ISO Lead Auditor Course.

Benefits

Not specified

Pay

$80,000 - $95,000

Schedule

Not specified