Senior Quality Auditor 12FTC

Senior Quality Auditor 12 months Fixed Contract

Are you a quality-driven professional ready to take the next step in your career? Join Palethorpes Bakery as a Senior QA and play a vital role in delivering safe, high-quality products while developing into future leadership roles.

This is more than a QA position — it’s your pathway to becoming a QA Manager or wider business leader.

About The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat. 

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added-value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better. 

Working Hours: 4 on, 4 off – 6am-6pm

Location: Location: Palethorpes Bakery, Market Drayton

Salary: £33,000 per annum

Role Details: 

Reporting to the QA Manager, you’ll be at the heart of quality, safety, and compliance on site. You’ll lead by example, support the wider team, and step up to manage operations when needed — ensuring everything runs smoothly and safely.

• Fully deputise for the QA Manager as required, taking responsibility for team decision-making, task prioritisation (based on food safety, legality and quality), escalation, team direction, resource management and handovers.
• Attend SIC and technical meetings, manage the DECT phone, and ensure continuity of QA operations with no disruption.
• Train and develop the QA team, ideally holding Train the Trainer qualification.
• Train new starters, coach team members and operations on GMP standards, CCPs and auditing, and support the creation, review and update of QA and operational procedures.
• Carry out GMP audits across all factory areas, verify CCPs, conduct competency testing, and take appropriate corrective action for CCP failures.
• Manage traceability exercises for audits, complaints and investigations, including coordinating and presenting findings where required.
• Log, review and approve concessions; place product on/off HOLD and Status 1.
• Raise, investigate and close foreign body investigations, non-conformances and incidents, ensuring timely follow-up and closure.
• Maintain site QMS equipment calibration, manage glass breakages and bodily fluid incidents, and oversee repair and return of probes and scales.
• Conduct product and environmental testing (micro, shelf life, nutrition, QUID, water, air plates, hand swabs, listeria, allergen and ATP).
• Complete scheduled environmental testing, monthly glass audits, chill checks, daily Comark probe verification, and daily download of checkweigher data.
• Support and fully cover Goods Intake QC and Product Analyst roles as required to ensure full QA team coverage.

About You:

• Experience in a QC or similar role
• Good numeracy and literacy skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal abilities
• Level 2 HACCP and Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene
• Understanding of Health & Safety in food production
• Ability to follow instructions and work at pace to achieve deadlines
• Team player with a friendly, proactive attitude

The ideal candidate will have skills around quality assessment and evaluation, product development, teamwork/collaboration and strategic mindedness to support the Quality strategy and to interact with all key stakeholders to ensure changes are successful.  

Package and Benefits:

• 24 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Enhanced rates for all overtime
• Heavy discounted staff shop
• Free Parking
• Sink your teeth into discounts with our online and high-street retailer discount scheme and benefits portal.
• Join us in spreading sweetness with charity initiatives and team events that'll warm your heart.
• 24/7 access to Grocery Aid
• Rise through the ranks with informal and formal training and career development opportunities through our individual online LMS portal.
• Secure your future with our company pension plan

The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace.

We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, we ensure all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed.

Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.

Recruitment Agencies: 

We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.