Technical Manager

Hartley People Recruitment is seeking an experienced Technical Manager to join a leading business within the food and beverage manufacturing industry. This is a senior leadership opportunity for a strategic, commercially minded technical professional to lead food safety, quality and technical governance across multiple manufacturing facilities.

The Role

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will lead the technical and quality functions across multiple sites, ensuring the highest standards of food safety, regulatory compliance and product quality. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to the company’s strategic direction, drive continuous improvement and support business growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing technical and quality teams across multiple manufacturing facilities.

• Implementing and maintaining robust food safety, quality and technical management systems.

• Acting as the key technical contact for strategic customers on food safety and quality matters.

• Managing food safety risks, regulatory compliance and quality assurance across all sites.

• Providing technical leadership on manufacturing strategy and long-term capacity planning.

• Driving continuous improvement, change management and operational transformation.

• Working closely with senior leadership to develop and implement business strategy.

• Building and maintaining relationships with regulatory bodies, customers and key industry stakeholders.

• Supporting talent development, recruitment and succession planning within the technical function.

• Monitoring industry trends, customer requirements and market developments to support business growth.

The Person

The successful candidate will be an experienced technical leader with a strong background in food and beverage manufacturing, combining technical expertise with strategic vision and commercial awareness.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience in technical, quality or food safety leadership within the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

• Proven experience leading and developing teams across manufacturing operations.

• A strong understanding of food safety, quality management systems and regulatory requirements.

• The ability to assess risk, implement effective controls and drive continuous improvement.

• Strong strategic thinking, leadership and decision-making skills.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities, with experience engaging customers and regulatory authorities.

• A commercially focused, results-driven approach, with the ability to support business growth and transformation.

• A flexible and adaptable mindset, with a strong focus on customer satisfaction, team development and operational excellence.

Location: Head office in Naas, Co. Kildare, with travel to manufacturing sites in Clonmel and Piltown required, typically one day per week at each site.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior technical professional to take ownership of the technical function across multiple manufacturing sites, influence business strategy and make a meaningful impact on food safety, quality and operational performance.