Technical Manager - Food

What's in it for you

At Booker, along with being a great place to work and giving you an opportunity to get on in your career, we also offer the following fantastic package of benefits:

• A Booker colleague card with 10% off purchases at Booker and double discount events up to three times a year.
• After 1 months service, a Tesco colleague discount card with 10% increasing to 15% off most purchases at Tesco for a 4 day period after every four-weekly pay day, ie. thirteen times a year. In addition to 10% off at Tesco Cafe and 20% off all F&F purchases.
• 10% off pay monthly & SIM only deals with Tesco Mobile for yourself, along with further great deals through-out the year.
• Up to 30% off car, pet and home insurance at Tesco bank. Terms and conditions apply.
• Free eye test when you spend £50 or more. You can also save 30% when you spend £50 or more on glasses, prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.
• 50% off health checks at Tesco Pharmacy.
• Exclusive access to discounted RAC breakdown cover rates
• An exclusive deals and discounts website saving you money on everyday purchases including a cycle to work scheme.
• After 3 months service, you can join our annual Save As You Earn share scheme which allows you to buy Tesco shares in the future at a discount.
• Retirement savings plan (pension) - save up to 5% and Booker will match your contribution.
• Life Assurance - You are covered for death in service life cover of up to three times annual pay
• Health and Wellbeing support and resources including our 24/7, confidential Employee Assistance Programme and Virtual GP for you and your family.
• A great holiday package

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Technical Manager to lead a portfolio of suppliers and act as a subject matter expert in food safety, quality, and compliance. This pivotal role ensures our products meet the highest standards of safety, legality, and quality, while supporting innovation and continuous improvement across the business.

You will be responsible for

• Technical Leadership
  • Serve as the SME for food safety, quality systems, and regulatory compliance.
  • Provide expert guidance on HACCP, allergen control, microbiological risks, and shelf-life validation.
  • Lead technical input into NPD, EPD, and factory trials.
• Compliance & Standards
  • Ensure adherence to BRCGS, retailer standards, and UK/EU food legislation.
  • Maintain and improve quality management systems and technical documentation.
  • Lead internal and external audits, including customer and third-party inspections.
• Risk Management
  • Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective/preventive actions.
  • Manage product recalls, incident investigations, and technical crisis response.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as the technical point of contact for a natural work team, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with commercial, supply chain and development teams.
• Team Development
  • Mentor and share knowledge with the team, promote a culture of excellence and accountability.

You will need

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a technical/quality role within food manufacturing.

• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, VACCP, TACCP, and food safety legislation.
• Experience with BRCGS audits and retailer technical requirements.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related discipline (Desirable)

About The Company

Booker is the UK's leading food & drink wholesaler. We are privileged to serve independent retailers, caterers and small businesses, from locations across the country.  We operate over 190 cash and carry branches, eight distribution centres, five Best Food Logistics sites, as well as six support centre locations across the UK.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at Booker means that whoever you are and whatever your background, we always want you to feel represented and that you can be yourself at work. In short, we’re a place where Everyone’s Welcome.

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Booker and Best, we always welcome conversations about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we may be able to support you.

We’re proud that Booker is a Disability Confident Committed employer and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support you can expect, please contact recruitment@bookergroup.com  

Please note

We can only accept candidates over the age of 18 if the role requires working before 6:15 am or after 9:45 pm or involves working in areas such as the warehouse, beers, wines & spirits, and driving roles.

On the occasions where we have high volumes of applicants, some roles may close earlier than the advertised end date in order for us to manage all of the applicants appropriately. We will only be able to offer individual feedback to those candidates who attend an interview.

*Booker Group is part of Tesco plc, however, is operated separately from the core Tesco business and as such the benefits offered will be different from those offered at Tesco*

For more information about us please visit www.bookergroupjobs.co.uk