Head of Technical - FTC

The Role:

We’re looking for an experienced and people-focused Head of Technical to join us on a fixed-term maternity cover contract and lead our brilliant Technical team.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll step into an established team of technical experts, continuing the journey they’re already on and keeping things moving. You’ll bring people together and provide the support, clarity and strong leadership they need to thrive, while maintaining the high standards already in place.

Technical credibility is important, but this role is about much more than being the technical expert in the room. You’ll be the glue between the team and senior leaders, building strong relationships across the business and helping turn different priorities and perspectives into clear direction for the team.

Alongside leading the function, you’ll stay close to the key technical priorities across our supply chain, from manufacturing and quality through to supplier assurance and wider business projects.

This is a role for a Technical leader who genuinely loves leading people and bringing them together, sees the bigger picture and knows how to create the clarity and connection a brilliant team needs to do their best work.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership & Team

• Lead the Technical function, providing stability, continuity and clear direction throughout the maternity cover period.

• Lead, inspire and support a team of technical subject matter experts, creating an environment where people feel supported, can do their best work and continue to develop.

• Continue to bring the team together around shared priorities, creating cohesion, clarity and alignment across the function.

• Act as a key connector between the Technical team and wider business, helping to join the dots between the team, Heads-of and senior leadership and translating wider business priorities into clear direction.

• Monitor departmental, site and business KPIs, driving a strong quality culture and continuous improvement.

• Build strong, trusted relationships across the Technical team and wider business, providing credible technical leadership while bringing a collaborative and people-focused approach.

Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Deliver the technical strategy on a day-to-day basis, ensuring technical standards and legislative requirements are achieved.

• Continue the implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management System.

• Lead and advise on statutory regulations and company standards relating to best practice in food safety and quality.

• Ensure appropriate technical governance is in place to meet internal, external, legal and customer requirements, including export requirements across Little Moons’ international markets.

• Maintain all external accreditation at LHQ, including BRC, Halal and any other regulatory audits.

• Keep up to date with relevant legislation and implement changes where required, particularly across Little Moons’ export markets.

• Oversee internal and external specifications, supplier approval and robust VACCP and TACCP systems.

Customers, Projects & Cross-functional Working

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers and supply chain partners, providing leadership and support through audits to a high standard.

• Provide technical support for production trials, innovation projects and other key business initiatives.

• Work closely with Supply Chain & Procurement, Marketing, Operations and other teams on the introduction of new raw materials, packaging materials and products.

• Support the cost-effective and technically robust delivery of NPD and EPD projects.

• Undertake international travel as required to support key business activity and priorities.

Commercial & Wider Business Responsibilities

• Manage the Technical department’s overhead budget.

• Contribute to the Brighter Future Sustainability Strategy and company's linked OKRs.

• Support your function and any direct report(s) to contribute too.

Essential Requirements:

• A strong, people-first leader with experience leading and supporting a Technical team.

• A track record of bringing teams together, creating clarity and helping people perform at their best, including through periods of change or ambiguity.

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work collaboratively across different teams and levels of a business.

• Broad technical experience across the food supply chain, with exposure beyond a solely factory-based Technical role. This could include areas such as manufacturing, quality, supplier assurance and wider supply chain.

• Experience working with BRC standards and audits, with the confidence to manage an audit room and support the team delivering the audit.

• Strong technical knowledge across food safety, quality and compliance, with the ability to provide credible leadership and guidance to a team of subject matter experts.

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally when required.

It’s a Bonus If You Have:

• Experience within chilled or frozen, high-care or high-risk food manufacturing.

• Experience working across international markets and export requirements.

• Experience supporting NPD or EPD projects.

• Knowledge of VACCP and TACCP.

• Knowledge of microbiology, allergens and allergen control.

Some of the benefits of working here include:

Little Moons is a fast-growing and dynamic business, the nature of which means roles and responsibilities can change and grow quickly and at scale. We never stand still for long, and for the right person this represents an opportunity to grow and evolve your role and responsibilities with us and to develop your career at pace.

We will provide you with as much support, guidance, and training as you need, and offer the below benefits to boost:

• Medicash, Private Health Scheme & Life Insurance 👩🏽‍⚕️

• Enhanced Baby Leave - new parents will be entitled to sixteen weeks off on full pay during the child’s first year of life (available to people who have worked for Little Moons for one year at Week 26 of pregnancy) 🍼

• We understand that mental health matters. We partner with Health Assured to provide remote emotional support to team members 🧠🧘🏾

• Discretionary annual bonus based on company performance 😁

• Paid sick leave 🤒

• Respect, trust, and honesty. Personal and professional maturity is important to us, and we keep each other honest ❤️

• Your holidays – We believe in finding your work-life alignment and encourage all staff to use their 25 days, plus public holidays ☀️

• Additional days off with long service 😎

• Salary Extra - Discounts and Vouchers 🎁

• Your Birthday off 🎂

• Team volunteer days 🌍

• Cycle to work scheme🚲

To be engaged, you must feel included and valued, so we have built, and nurtured, a culture where inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being.

Our approach to diversity is simple, it’s about embracing everyone, and everyone is welcome at Little Moons. We are committed to welcoming everyone, regardless of gender identity, orientation or expression. We are diverse in age, race, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective. Our diversity fuels our innovation, brings diversity of thought, and connects us closer to our customers and the communities we serve.

All applicants must have the right to work in the United Kingdom.