Head of Food Safety and Quality

Kepak is one of Europe’s leading food companies with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Here at Kepak, our vision is to be a successful, sustainable, future ready Food Business with differentiation at its core and that is a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility, Ambition, Passion For Food & Teamwork. With a turnover of €1.75 billion, the Group operates across three divisions: Meat Division Ireland, the Foods Division and Meat Division UK.

Kepak's Meat Division Ireland operates across 8 manufacturing sites with 2,500 employees, producing a range of quality meat and protein-based food products for retail and foodservice customers. The division focuses on providing exceptional service and value to our stakeholders.

Are you ready to step into a high impact leadership role where food safety, quality and operational excellence come together. As Head of Food Safety and Quality, you will shape and lead the strategy across our Meat Division Ireland’s Retail Packing operations, driving continuous improvement, strengthening compliance and empowering site teams to deliver exceptional standards. This is an influential senior leadership opportunity for someone who can inspire people and make a positive difference to the business.

Responsibilities:

You will provide both strategic and operational leadership across food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement.

Health and Safety

• Foster a robust safety-first culture by guaranteeing complete adherence to health and safety regulations and internal guidelines. Work closely with the Health and Safety team to implement tailored health and safety plans specific to each site.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, including HACCP, BRC standards, animal welfare, and training requirements.
• Assist our site teams in upholding Kepak, customer, and regulatory standards throughout our operations.
• Manage Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (QMS) and audits, ensuring that we achieve excellent results.
• Have a strong grasp of business policies, procedures, and legal obligations, making certain that we remain compliant.

Business Continuity and Risk Management

• Take the initiative to recognize and address potential risks within our retail manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate closely with the operations teams to create and execute comprehensive business continuity plans at all locations.

Customer and Supplier Standards

• Champions and maintains high standards for our customers and suppliers at the site.