Create, Innovate and Lead.

If you're passionate about creating exceptional food products and enjoy balancing innovation, technical leadership and customer collaboration, this is an opportunity to step into a genuine technical leadership role where you'll influence product development, quality and business performance every day.

Our client is a growing Australian food manufacturer producing premium high-risk ready-to-eat products for national retail and foodservice customers.

As the site's Technical Manager, you'll be the business's technical authority, working alongside the CEO, Sales, Operations, Engineering and Production teams to develop innovative products, improve manufacturing processes and ensure products consistently meet customer expectations.

Success in this role will come from your ability to think like a product developer, lead like a Technical Manager and build relationships with customers, suppliers and your team.

While you'll maintain oversight of the Quality Management System and Food Safety Program, your primary focus will be leading product development, driving innovation and providing practical technical leadership across the business. There is no routine quality control floor work in this position.

You'll be trusted to manage your own priorities, take ownership of outcomes and bring solutions—not problems—to the leadership team. If you're someone who enjoys autonomy, thrives in a collaborative environment and likes seeing your ideas become commercially successful products, you'll feel right at home.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

Provide technical leadership across Product Development, Food Safety and Quality.

Lead, mentor and develop a small technical team while helping build a positive culture of quality, accountability and continuous improvement.

Coach and support emerging technical professionals, bringing people on the journey rather than simply enforcing compliance.

Act as the primary technical advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team.

Build a positive culture where quality, food safety and workplace safety are embraced by everyone.

New Product Development & Innovation

Lead product development projects from concept through to successful commercialisation.

Develop bench-top samples, refine formulations and create flavour and texture profiles that satisfy customer briefs.

Design and conduct sensory evaluations to support product development, benchmarking and continuous improvement.

Research emerging ingredients, technologies and consumer trends to drive product innovation.

Work closely with customers to understand product briefs and transform ideas into commercially viable products.

Lead production trials, analyse results and prepare technical reports with recommendations.

Work closely with Production and Engineering to optimise manufacturing processes, improve efficiencies and support successful product launches.

Continuously improve existing products through formulation, ingredient, process and manufacturing improvements.

Work closely with suppliers and Procurement to source ingredients, evaluate alternatives and deliver commercially successful products without compromising quality.

Coordinate shelf-life validation studies and competitor benchmarking.

Balance innovation with commercial outcomes, ensuring products remain both profitable and manufacturable.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance Oversight

Maintain and continually improve the site's QMS and Food Safety Program.

Lead customer, regulatory and third-party audits.

Manage technical documentation, supplier approvals and product compliance.

Lead investigations and corrective actions.

Ensure ongoing compliance with customer, regulatory and GFSI requirements.

About You

You'll be a commercially minded food professional who enjoys balancing innovation, technical excellence and customer relationships.

You're equally comfortable developing a new product in the test kitchen, presenting technical recommendations to senior management or working alongside Production to solve complex manufacturing challenges.

You'll ideally bring:

Tertiary qualifications in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition or a related discipline.

A minimum of five years' experience in Technical, Product Development, Food Technology or Quality leadership within food manufacturing.

Strong product development experience, including formulation, ingredient functionality and commercialisation.

Well-developed sensory evaluation skills with the ability to create and refine flavour and texture profiles.

Experience within high-care food manufacturing environments such as dairy, frozen desserts, bakery, beverages, cultured products, confectionery or other ready-to-eat food categories will be highly regarded.

Strong understanding of HACCP and food safety systems within food manufacturing.

Experience working within a GFSI-certified environment.

Demonstrated success launching products from concept through to commercialisation.

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities simultaneously.

A practical, hands-on leadership style and a passion for continuous improvement.

Why You'll Enjoy This Opportunity

Salary of approximately $100,000–$110,000 plus superannuation.

Eligible for a discretionary incentive program following successful completion of probation.

Opportunity to shape new products from concept through to national retail shelves.

Significant autonomy with direct access to the CEO and senior leadership team.

Genuine influence over product innovation, technical strategy and business growth.

Diverse role spanning Product Development, Sensory Science, Food Safety and Technical Leadership.

Supportive, collaborative culture where initiative and accountability are valued.

Long-term career opportunity with a growing Australian food manufacturer.

How to Apply

If you're excited by the opportunity to combine product innovation, technical leadership and customer collaboration within a growing food manufacturing business, we invite you to apply via the link below. Alternatively, for a confidential discussion to determine if this is the right opportunity for you, please contact Stuart Dixon at diligence on 04•••••292 or email ••••@yourdiligence.com.au

Please Note

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Further information regarding the employer will be provided to shortlisted applicants during the recruitment process.

Applicants must hold permanent, unrestricted Australian working rights.