Quality Manager

About Kepak Group

Kepak is a major food business with 14 manufacturing locations and more than 4,500 staff across Ireland and the UK. The company reports a turnover of €1.75 billion and works through three divisions: Meat Division Ireland, Foods Division, and Meat Division UK. Its guiding principles are Responsibility, Ambition, Passion for Food, and Teamwork. Kepak aims to be a sustainable, future-ready business and a strong place to build a career. It provides fresh and value-added meat products to retail and foodservice customers under private label and its own brands, including Rustlers, Big Al's, and John Stone.

Role Overview

This opportunity is for a Quality Manager to join the technical team in Athleague, County Roscommon. The role suits a quality-focused professional who wants to contribute in a busy food production setting, helping to maintain high standards of safety, product quality, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee adherence to regulatory requirements as well as BRC, TFMS, MPQAS, and customer standards.
• Strengthen and maintain the Food Safety Management System so it continues to operate effectively.
• Own customer product specifications and keep them updated within Kepak's specification system.
• Partner with commercial, sales, and production teams to create new product specifications (NLAF).
• Manage customer complaint investigations, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action follow-up.
• Ensure internal and external non-conformances are handled effectively and improved upon.
• Prepare for and support customer, regulatory, and accreditation audits so the site remains audit-ready.
• Liaise with DAFM representatives, attend weekly meetings, and resolve issues quickly.
• Support the traceability programme and respond accurately and on time to customer requests.
• Track customer KPIs and implement corrective actions where performance gaps are identified.
• Take part in site-wide continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support, coach, and mentor members of the Technical and QC teams.

Requirements

• A qualification in Agri Science, Food Science, Food Technology, or a closely related subject.
• Previous experience in a similar position, together with people management experience.
• Solid working knowledge of HACCP, BRCGS, GMP, TACCP, VACCP, and EU food safety legislation.
• Hands-on experience with audits and with managing relationships across external stakeholders.
• A strong background in food safety compliance and quality management systems.
• Knowledge of animal welfare standards would be an added advantage.
• Level 6 QQI Advanced HACCP certification is beneficial.

Benefits

• Company pension plan.
• Paid maternity leave.
• Support for further education, with development pathways and ongoing learning opportunities.
• Access to an employee discount and cashback platform with offers from many brands.
• Subsidized canteen.
• Refer-a-friend scheme, with the potential to earn up to €500 for a successful referral.
• Bike to Work scheme through salary sacrifice, helping reduce taxable income.
• Long service awards to recognise dedicated employees.

Additional Information

The company places strong emphasis on responsibility, ambition, teamwork, and a passion for food. This role is based in Athleague and is part of a fast-paced manufacturing environment focused on product quality, food safety, and compliance.