QA Technician

Job Purpose Role Description To provide Quality Assurance support across manufacturing operations, ensuring products and processes comply with internal standards, customer requirements, legal obligations, food safety standards, and product specifications. The QA Technician is responsible for auditing, process verification, CCP monitoring, documentation compliance, laboratory and microbiological activities, environmental monitoring, validation programmes, sensory evaluation programmes, investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role supports food safety, product quality, customer compliance, successful project delivery, product launches, factory trials, and validation activities across the site. The QA Technician will actively challenge poor practices, promote GMP standards, support quality culture development, and ensure all required quality, food safety, laboratory, and testing activities are completed in a timely manner. Principal Responsibilities Quality Assurance, Auditing & Compliance

• Conduct routine quality assurance inspections to ensure compliance with product specifications, customer requirements, site procedures, and legal standards.
• Conduct Internal Audits in accordance with the site audit schedule and support corrective action implementation and follow-up.
• Carry out Process Confirmation Audits to verify manufacturing processes are operating in accordance with approved procedures and standards.
• Conduct CCP verification audits and ensure all critical control points are effectively monitored and documented.
• Complete paperwork verification and documentation reviews to ensure compliance with site standards and customer requirements.
• Raise, review, update, and maintain Site Manufacturing Procedures (SMPs), standards, work instructions, and quality documentation.
• Conduct GMP, hygiene, fabrication, glass and hard plastics, and housekeeping audits.
• Escalate food safety, quality, legality, and compliance concerns to the QA Supervisor and Technical Manager.
• Challenge poor practices and behaviours that may adversely affect food safety, product quality, customer requirements, or site compliance.
• Support retailer, customer, BRCGS, regulatory, and external audits.
• Participate in audit preparation activities and verify completion of corrective actions resulting from audits and inspections.
• Deliver quality-related training and coaching to operational teams where required. Product Validation, Projects & Investigations
• Support project work, factory trials, continuous improvement initiatives, and validation activities.
• Support preparation and completion of project documentation and validation reports.
• Conduct finished product validation checks to ensure products meet customer specifications and quality standards.
• Support process validation activities and verification of production controls.
• Assist with new product introductions and product launches.
• Lead and support batch investigations, non-conformance investigations, customer complaint investigations, and root cause analysis activities.
• Raise and complete investigation reports, ensuring corrective and preventative actions (CAPAs) are identified, implemented, and verified.
• Support quality incident reviews and continuous improvement activities. Laboratory, Microbiology & Environmental Monitoring.
• Support completion of all required laboratory testing programmes.
• Provide cover for Laboratory Technicians during holidays, absence, training, and peak workload periods.
• Conduct microbiological testing, sample preparation, and result recording in line with approved procedures.
• Ensure microbiological, environmental, authenticity, nutritional, retained sample, shelf-life, and external testing schedules are maintained and completed on time.
• Review microbiological results and escalate concerns where required.
• Conduct environmental monitoring programmes including ATP, microbiological, allergen swabbing, and environmental sampling activities.
• Maintain microbiology standards, procedures, laboratory records, and documentation.
• Ensure laboratory equipment is maintained, calibrated, and operating correctly.
• Monitor testing schedules and escalate any risks to completion or product compliance. Line Release, Sensory & Sample Management
• Conduct pre-start checks and line release inspections.
• Verify hygiene, operational, food safety, and quality standards prior to production start-up.
• Approve line release documentation in accordance with site procedures.
• Support production teams with quality-related issues and provide guidance on GMP requirements and standards.
• Organise, coordinate, and facilitate daily taste panels.
• Conduct sensory evaluations and communicate findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Escalate any taste, appearance, aroma, or quality concerns identified during evaluations.
• Support sample collection, registration, storage, retention, dispatch, and management.
• Ensure all required samples are submitted to external laboratories within agreed timescales. Systems, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Use SAP for stock checks, material movements, and ordering laboratory consumables where required.
• Use MES and other site systems to record analytical and quality data.
• Maintain accurate records, reports, databases, trend analysis, and quality information.
• Produce daily, weekly, and monthly quality reports as required.
• Review data trends and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support lean manufacturing principles including 5S, Autonomous Maintenance (AM), root cause analysis, and continuous improvement activities.
• Participate in problem-solving projects and process improvements.
• Identify opportunities to improve quality systems, product quality, and operational performance.
• Drive quality improvements through effective monitoring, auditing, and investigation activities.
• Provide cover for the QA Supervisor when required. Health, Safety & Environment
• Comply with all Health, Safety, Environmental, Food Safety, and Quality procedures.
• Take responsibility for personal safety and the safety of others.
• Report hazards, accidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions.
• Support site initiatives aimed at improving food safety, quality, health, safety, and environmental performance.
• Operate in accordance with all company policies and standards. Role Requirements Essential
• Scientific qualification in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or relevant food manufacturing experience.
• Understanding of food safety legislation and quality management systems.
• Knowledge of HACCP principles and CCP monitoring requirements.
• Experience conducting audits and process verification activities.
• Understanding of microbiological testing and environmental monitoring programmes.
• Experience completing investigations and root cause analysis.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation control.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to challenge poor practices constructively.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple tasks.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office applications. Desirable
• Internal Auditor qualification.
• Experience of BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience supporting validation activities, factory trials, and project work.
• Food manufacturing quality assurance experience. Country United Kingdom Location Bradford Business Area Operations Workplace Type Onsite About Princes The Princes Group has over 7,000 employees with offices and production sites in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France and Mauritius. Princes manufactures 350 different food and drink products responsibly sourced and enjoyed by consumers every day. None of this would be possible without striving to be an employer of choice, where our colleagues are proud to represent our business. Essential
• Scientific qualification in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or relevant food manufacturing experience.
• Understanding of food safety legislation and quality management systems.
• Knowledge of HACCP principles and CCP monitoring requirements.
• Experience conducting audits and process verification activities.
• Understanding of microbiological testing and environmental monitoring programmes.
• Experience completing investigations and root cause analysis.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation control.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to challenge poor practices constructively.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple tasks.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office applications. Desirable
• Internal Auditor qualification.
• Experience of BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience supporting validation activities, factory trials, and project work.
• Food manufacturing quality assurance experience.