Quality Assurance Manager

We are recruiting for a Quality Assurance Manager on a full time (40 hours), permanent contract to join our leadership team in the Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 area, supporting our nationwide team.

As Quality Assurance Manager, you will take full ownership of food safety and quality systems across our factories, distribution operations and school estate. This is a critical leadership role, ensuring that robust quality, food safety, allergen and compliance standards are consistently applied, supporting safe, compliant and uninterrupted production, logistics and school services.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, and working closely alongside the Facilities H&S Manager, this role will lead the delivery of robust food safety and quality systems, ensuring legal compliance, audit readiness and consistent standards across all sites.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities include:

Quality & Food  Safety Management 

• Responsible for the development, implementation, review and continuous improvement of the Glanmore Quality Management System and Food Safety Management System across all production, packing, distribution and school operations.
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS) and Food Safety Management System (FSMS) across all operations.
• Ensure HACCP-based systems, document control and governance are effectively applied.
• Support standardisation of food safety systems across factories, distribution and schools.
• Support Kitchtech rollout, verification and monthly checks.

Site Oversight (Factories, Distribution & Schools)

• Provide QA oversight across the three factories, distribution operations and supported schools.
• Support new site set-up including registration, starter packs, pest control, waste and documentation.
• Manage distribution of food safety, allergen and system updates to sites.

Audit, Verification & Compliance

• Develop and manage the annual internal audit programme for factories and schools. 
• Conduct food safety, hygiene and quality audits across factory sites. 
• Oversee school audits, supported by Supervisors. 
• Ensure corrective actions are assigned, tracked and closed out effectively. 
• Escalate significant findings, repeat non-conformances and key risks. 
• Act as the main QA contact for EHOs, external auditors and customer audits

Product Safety, Traceability & Incidents

• Maintain robust traceability systems across ingredients, products and distribution.
• Ensure recall and withdrawal procedures are current, tested and understood.
• Coordinate mock recalls and support food safety incident investigations.
• Support risk-based decision-making on product holds, release, withdrawal or recall.
• Support communication with customers, schools and regulators where required.

Microbiological & Listeria Control

• Develop, implement and manage microbiological testing and environmental monitoring programmes across all sites. 
• Establish risk-based sampling plans across cooked chilled, fruit packing and cold food operations. 
• Review microbiological results, trend performance and escalate adverse trends promptly. 
• Develop and maintain the Listeria control programme across factories and relevant school operations. 
• Oversee environmental swabbing programmes for Listeria, particularly in high-risk and high-care areas.
• Ensure effective zoning, segregation, hygienic design, cleaning verification and hygiene controls are in place. 
• Lead investigations, corrective actions and intensified monitoring following presumptive or confirmed Listeria positives. 
• Support shelf-life validation and verification for chilled ready-to-eat meals and sandwiches. 
• Ensure legal and customer microbiological standards for ready-to-eat foods are consistently met. 
• Work closely with Operations to reduce post‑process contamination risks during cooling, packing, storage and distribution. 
• Liaise with laboratory service providers and manage microbiological testing schedules

Supplier, Allergen & Label Management

• Manage supplier non-conformances and specification control.
• Work with Procurement on supplier performance, feedback and improvement.
• Oversee allergen management across menu development, production, packing and schools.
• Lead label and artwork development, approval and version control.
• Ensure labels are legally compliant and aligned with approved specifications.
• Support nutrition, ingredient and allergen-related customer queries.

 Complaints, Hygiene & Service Contracts

• Oversee food safety-related complaints and non-conformance management.
• Investigate food safety, quality and hygiene complaints and trend outcomes.
• Ensure hygiene standards and pest control services protect product safety.
• Oversee calibration programmes for probes, scales, temperature devices and QA equipment.
• Manage QA service providers including laboratory, pest control and calibration services.

 Team Leadership, Reporting & Projects

• Lead and develop the QA team and support food safety competence across the business.
• Coordinate and support food safety and QA training delivery.
• Provide QA oversight to menu development, NPD and operational projects.
• Produce KPI reporting on audit performance, complaints, microbiology, action close-out and key risks.
• Provide clear updates and recommendations to senior leadership

 About You:

• 3–5 years’ experience in a Quality Assurance or Food Safety Management role within food manufacturing, production or multi-site operations. 
• Relevant Food Safety / Science qualification (e.g. HACCP, QA or equivalent). 
• Strong knowledge of food safety legislation, HACCP, auditing, allergens and microbiological control. 
• Experienced people leader with excellent organisational and communication skills. 
• Confident engaging with EHOs, auditors and senior stakeholders. 
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with Operations, Procurement, HSE and School teams.

 Some of the benefits we offer:

As well as a competitive salary, we also have a large range of other benefits, such as;

• Discounts on brands across the Island of Ireland (restaurants, high street stores, hotels, day out venues, gyms, golf courses and many more) 
• Flexible working to support work life balance 
• Free parking at the office 
• Career Pathways to support career progression and/or skills development 
• Learning & development programs available for personal and professional development & growth 
• Access to wellness programs to promote mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues 
• Employee Assistance Program to guide and support our employees 
• Exciting appreciation days

About Us: 

Glanmore Foods is apart of the Compass Group, located in Blanchardstown, Dublin. At Compass Ireland, our people are our business. When you join the Compass Group you will be joining a supportive network of incredible individuals, each united by their passion for going the extra mile for the organisations we partner with. We are building a team who care about providing a great customer experience and want to grow and develop as we do. We are dedicated to investing in every colleague joining us and pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer; we celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all our colleagues. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Please review our Privacy Notice for details on how we maintain protect and why your personal data collected when you apply for a job with Glanmore Foods. We will not retain any CV’s or job applications for longer than necessary.