Technical Manager

Dartford, Kent
Leon

Role: LEON Technical Manager

Location: London, SE1 0EN

Hours: Full-Time / Permanent

Salary: £50,000 – £60,000 (Dependent on Experience)

About the role

Embark on an exciting journey with LEON by joining our dynamic and rapidly growing team as a Technical Manager! In this pivotal role, you will take the lead in nutrition and allergen management while cultivating robust relationships with our esteemed suppliers.

As the ideal candidate, you bring a wealth of experience in the food-based sector, encompassing Retail, Manufacturing, and/or Food Service. Your expertise extends to centralised distribution systems, effective supplier management, a thorough understanding of HACCP and quality procedures, advanced knowledge of food hygiene practices, and the ability to distill complex technical issues into clear and actionable insights.

If you are passionate about upholding high food safety and quality standards, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and are eager to contribute to the success of our expanding business, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of food excellence at LEON!

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Overseeing all aspects of customer communication related to nutrition and allergen information, including promptly addressing enquiries, concerns, and ensuring transparent and accurate information distribution.
• Managing the integration of product specifications into customer data systems, ensuring that customer-facing information accurately reflects the details provided in product specifications.

• Implementing and maintaining advanced systems for technical data management, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and accessibility for timely decision-making.

• Actively participating in cross-functional collaboration with the development team to guarantee that newly developed products align not only with company policies and legal food safety regulations but also with customer preferences and market trends.

• Rigorously overseeing the specification management process, thoroughly detailing product specifications, ingredient sourcing, and production processes to ensure comprehensive guidelines.

• Establishing and developing strong relationships with suppliers through regular communication, supplier meetings, and collaboration to encourage a mutual understanding of quality standards and expectations.

• Implementing a robust supplier management system, including accountability for claims management by promptly addressing and resolving issues related to product quality or compliance deviations.

• Ensuring the quality, safety, and legality of all food products by actively engaging in continuous improvement initiatives, regulatory monitoring, and adherence to industry best practices.

• Advocating for and monitoring ethical compliance across all supply partners, holding them accountable to ethical standards aligned with the company’s values.

• Leading initiatives to drive and elevate quality standards with suppliers and internal restaurant teams, including training programs and continuous improvement projects.

• Conducting thorough and systematic audits of suppliers, employing a risk-based approach to assess and verify compliance with quality, safety, and ethical standards.

• Taking full ownership of product quality by implementing ongoing assessment protocols, conducting root cause analyses, and leading corrective and preventive actions.

This list is not exhaustive and may be added to or amended from time to time.

Candidate Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a food service, retail or manufacturing role.
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for food, sustainability, and a commitment to meeting customer needs.
• Flexible and available for travel within the UK to engage with suppliers.
• Proven track record in successful supplier management and negotiation.
• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, quality procedures, and advanced food safety practices.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate technical information into actionable strategies.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Experience in implementing and maintaining centralised distribution systems.
• Detail-oriented and committed to maintaining high standards of accuracy and efficiency.
• Ability to stay updated on industry trends, regulations, and best practices.

Benefits & Rewards:

• Competitive Salary & Performance Based Bonus Scheme.

• 30 Days Holiday (including bank holidays).
• Company Pension.
• Employee Life Assurance.
• ASDA Discount Card – 10% off all ASDA stores.
• Smart Health – 24/7 online GP access, health checks and health and wellbeing support
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to our Wellbeing Centre which offers emotional & practical support including free financial advice.
• Learning & Development – access to our Learning Hub, the most extensive online course library in the world to support you with every step of your career.
• Free Eye Test.
• As much LEON food as you can eat, plus 60% food Discount for you and up to 4 people when you’re not working.

About LEON

At LEON, we are on a mission to revolutionise fast food. Where does it say in the rule book that fast food can’t be good for you? LEON was founded because we wanted to prove that it was possible to offer food that is both delicious and nutritious! The goal is to make it easy for people to eat well on the high street, and we aspire to achieve this in every major city worldwide!