Role: Factory Technical Manager, Shell Egg

Salary: £70,000

Location: Lacock, Wiltshire

Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week

As the Factory Technical Manager at Stonegate Farmers, you will lead and manage all technical operations within our Packing Centre to ensure full compliance with legal standards, customer specifications, third-party accreditations, and internal business objectives. Your role will be pivotal in maintaining the highest levels of food safety, product quality, and hygiene while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.

You will act as the primary guardian of our technical integrity, working cross-functionally with production, quality assurance, supply chain, and commercial teams to implement robust systems and processes. Your leadership will be essential in driving proactive risk management, audit readiness, and innovation across the technical agenda, ensuring that every product leaving our facility meets or exceeds the expectations of our customers and regulatory bodies.

About Stonegate Farmers Ltd

Stonegate Farmers Ltd is one of the UK's leading producers of free-range and organic eggs, with a fully integrated business spanning farming, egg packing, and cooked egg processing. Founded in 1926 and revitalised under new ownership since 2016, we have grown to become a trusted supplier to top-tier retailers, premium restaurants, and major food manufacturers nationwide.

At Stonegate, fresh eggs demand fresh thinking. We take pride in our people as much as our produce, and we're committed to hiring passionate, driven individuals who share our core values: At Stonegate, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live by our core values: Respect for one another and our environment, working as One Team to achieve shared goals, the drive to Aspire and continually improve, the Courage to lead and innovate, and a commitment to Diversity that strengthens our culture and success.

Role & Responsibilities:

* Proactively manage the food safety & integrity culture to build a right first-time operation

* Ensuring that the company's operational processes are appropriately controlled and that food safety and quality objectives are met

* To provide direction, support, coaching and mentoring to the factory Technical Teams

* Keep up to date with legislative changes, customer codes of practice and industry guidance.

* Budgetary management across assigned areas

* Manage, support and lead customer audits and visits

* Lead, investigate and drive continuous improvement by root cause analysis, across product quality, process issues, non-conformity and audit findings, making sure corrective and preventative actions are implemented to a successful review

* Complete reports and updates for the group operations director, leadership team, customers and relevant third parties.

* To ensure that systems operating within the factory are compatible with BRC Global Standards for Food Safety plus customer and third party requirements.

* Manage technically led projects assigned

* Lead assigned technical projects, working collaboratively with both internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure timely delivery. All projects must meet internal standards, customer expectations, third-party requirements, and relevant legal regulations.

* To contribute fully to the continuous improvement in business performance

Person Specification:

* Able to display our company values: Respect, Aspire, Courage, One Team & Diversity

* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.

* Strong collaborator able to build effective relationships with production teams, senior management, suppliers, and customers.

* Strong time management and deadline-focused mindset.

* High level of integrity and commitment to upholding standards.

* Passionate about food quality, safety, and delivering operational excellence

* Skilled in managing cross-functional projects and working with external stakeholders.

Qualifications / Experience:

* Degree or equivalent in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline

* Minimum 3-5 years' experience in a similar technical/quality leadership role within food manufacturing.

* Experience with customer and third-party audits, including preparation, hosting, and follow-up actions.

* Exposure to private label retailer customer requirements

* Strong understanding of quality assurance systems and regulatory requirements within food manufacturing.

* HACCP Level 4

* Food Safety Level 4

* Lead Auditor