Divisional Technical Controller

Divisional Technical Controller

Fried | Deli | Pastry Divisions

Location: Hybrid / Flexible (UK Travel Required)
Salary: £68,000 – £75,000 + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits

Join The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we're on a mission to create food that people love. As one of the UK's leading chilled food manufacturers, we supply many of the nation's biggest retailers and continue to invest in our people, products, and capabilities.

We're currently recruiting three Divisional Technical Controllers, with opportunities available across our Fried, Deli, and Pastry divisions.

These are high-profile leadership roles, offering the opportunity to influence technical strategy across multiple manufacturing sites, shape customer relationships, develop technical talent, and drive standards of food safety, quality, authenticity, and compliance across your division.

If you're an experienced senior technical leader looking for a broader, more strategic role with genuine scope and visibility, we'd love to hear from you.

The Role

Reporting to the Divisional Technical Director, you'll provide both strategic and operational technical leadership across your division, ensuring consistently high standards of:

• Food Safety
• Product Quality
• Legality
• Authenticity
• Customer Compliance

You'll work closely with Heads of Technical, site leadership teams, central technical functions, and major retail customers to ensure robust technical systems, effective risk management, continuous improvement, and a proactive quality culture.

You'll also act as a key customer-facing representative and be a senior escalation point for technical and quality matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Divisional Technical Director when required.
• Lead and support customer technical initiatives, projects, and communications.
• Ensure compliance with customer codes of practice across all divisional sites.
• Prepare and present technical performance reviews, KPIs, and customer reports.
• Drive data-led decision-making and proactive issue management.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventative action programmes.
• Embed a strong food safety and quality culture across multiple sites.
• Provide leadership during significant customer, quality, or food safety incidents.
• Drive consistency and best practice across the division.
• Lead and develop the Heads of Technical community.
• Support shelf-life optimisation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive technical performance through site reviews and systems maturity assessments.
• Build strong relationships with retailers and key customer stakeholders.
• Ensure divisional understanding and delivery of customer expectations.
• Coach and develop technical talent while strengthening succession plans.

About You

We're looking for an experienced technical leader who thrives in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

You'll have:

• Significant senior technical management experience within food manufacturing.
• Strong experience within chilled and short shelf-life food production.
• Extensive knowledge of major UK retailer technical standards and codes of practice.
• Detailed understanding of BRCGS Global Food Safety Standards.
• Strong knowledge of microbiology, food safety, and risk management.
• Experience managing technical teams across multiple sites.
• A proven track record of customer engagement and leadership.
• Food Science, Food Technology, or related degree.
• Level 4 Food Safety qualification.
• Level 4 HACCP qualification.

Why join us?

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing, and career growth:

Financial & Lifestyle Benefits

• Competitive Car Allowance
• Company Bonus Scheme recognising performance and contribution
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• 33 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays) with the option to purchase extra
• Holiday Discounts Available via our online retail discount platform
• Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in-store
• Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
• EV charging points – available at selected sites

Health & Wellbeing

• 24/7 access to GroceryAid for free financial, emotional, and practical support
• Physical Wellbeing Hub – free on-demand exercise programmes, online classes and multiple gym discounts
• Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of meal plans and healthy recipes
• Online wellbeing support – from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
• Financial wellbeing tools – including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid

Career Growth & Development

• Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS)
• Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role
• Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations
• Industry leading company Mentoring Scheme to add depth and really support your career journey
• Recognition through Club Compleat rewards portal

Community & Culture

• 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you
• Charity initiatives and fundraising events
• Team socials to connect and celebrate together
• Employee networks & support groups – including Women @ Compleat
• New baby gift for new parents

What You Should Know About How We Recruit

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe great teams are built on difference. We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and are able to be themselves at work. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage of our recruitment process, just let us know, we’ll support you — confidentially and with care. We hire the best people for our roles, not the same people. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we focus on what you do and the impact you could make in our business. Our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and designed to give everyone an equal chance. You’ll also find benefits that support people at every life stage, plus active internal networks — including Women @ Compleat, LGBTQIA+, and Neurodiversity

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.