Quality & Food Safety Specialist

Job Description:

As our Quality & Food Safety (Q&FS) Specialist, you will be the ultimate guardian of product integrity and food safety at our Slough manufacturing site. This is not just a role about maintaining standards—it is a mission to inspire. You will actively shape and mature our site-wide Food Safety Culture by coaching, training, and engaging our supply and technical associates to put Quality first in every action they take.

In addition to your site influence, you will provide strategic, indirect leadership to our on-site third-party microbiology laboratory contractor team, ensuring the flawless execution of our site-wide microbiological verification and monitoring program.

Location: Slough, UK (on-site full-time)

Salary: annual salary £36,900 - £41,500 (depending on the experience), annual bonus, benefits

What would be your key responsibilities?

Drive Food Safety Standards & Compliance

• Standard Ownership: Implement, maintain, and continuously improve site programs in strict alignment with Mars Global Standards and local legislative requirements in partnership with site, regional and global teams,this role is the site microbiology expert and standard owner.
• Factory Alignment: Calibrate and align food safety understanding and best practices across all manufacturing and technical teams on-site.
• Change Management: Represent the Q&FS function on cross-functional project teams to manage food safety risks during factory change initiatives.
• Compliance Reporting: Deliver transparent compliance reporting against Mars Food Safety standards to key stakeholders.

Lead Site Microbiology & Environmental Programs

• Lab Leadership: Serve as the primary, indirect manager for the on-site contract microbiology lab team, overseeing the preparation and flawless execution of the testing program.
• Verification & Action: Manage site environmental and microbiological sampling plans. Analyze data trends, implement proactive improvements, and lead swift escalation protocols when anomalies arise.
• To ensure continuous site support, this role includes participation in an agreed-upon weekend cover rota, which is recognized and compensated as an additional responsibility.

Champion Risk Mitigation & Incident Support (HACCP & PRIMP)

• HACCP Custodian: Partner in the site HACCP program reviews across all manufacturing lines and actively contribute to the site Food Safety Team.
• Risk Action Tracking: Partner in the CAPA tracking process, partnering with action owners to ensure timely and effective closeouts.
• Incident Prevention: Partner with PRIMP incident teams to define root causes, and implement robust preventive measures.
• Auditing: Actively participate as a key player in the site's internal and external Quality audit programs.

Empower & Coach Teams

• Dynamic Training: Design and deliver engaging, behavior-focused training programs across sensory standards, food defense, and microbiological sampling.
• Collaborative Campaigns: Partner with the Supply (Manufacturing) department to build communication and capability packages that drive a "Quality-First" mindset on the factory floor.

What are we looking for?

Context and Scope

To succeed in this role, you must pair uncompromising technical rigor with collaborative influence. You are someone who stands tall for food safety standards, exercises sound judgment under pressure, and has the courage to "stand alone" when quality is on the line.

You will operate as a key partner between technical standards and factory execution, partnering cross-functionally with Supply (Manufacturing), Site Quality Assurance (SQA), and engineering teams to make Quality awareness a natural, daily habit.

• Industry Experience: Minimum of several consistent years of hands-on Food Safety and Food Microbiology experience within the food manufacturing or beverage industry.
• Standards & Systems: Solid working knowledge of HACCP, FSSC 22000, GMP/GHP, and Quality & Food Safety Management Systems.
• Technical Skills: Strong foundational understanding of food microbiology and environmental monitoring.
• Auditing: Demonstrated experience participating in or leading quality audits.
• Managing the process:Q&FS Specialist will be managing 6 contracotrs
• Communication & Coaching: Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills, with a natural affinity for educating, coaching, and inspiring others.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose-driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry-competitive salary and benefits package, including a company bonus.

Mars is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or who are neurodiverse during the application and recruitment process. To request reasonable adjustments, complete our Reasonable Adjustment Request Form here

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