Category Technical Manager - Frozen - London
itsu · London, UK
Our estimate of how close this role sits to decisions about what gets sourced, specified, bought and served. How we score
Why this role matters
Where the work sits relative to real sourcing and menu decisions.
Supplier approval and product specification sign-off run through this desk — this is the seat that decides whether a supplier's safety, legality and quality claims hold up before their frozen gyoza, bao or other products reach a shelf, and what corrective action follows when they don't. Because itsu grocery's frozen range sits alongside meat and other animal-derived products, the standards you enforce in supplier reviews, audits and NPD gate sign-off are the standards those supply chains actually have to meet — not just what's written in a policy document. Over time, a technical manager who builds credibility here, with international suppliers and BRC-level accreditation work, is exactly the kind of person later able to push welfare or sourcing criteria into a specification rather than just checking a box on it. It's a stepping stone into more senior technical or category leadership where those calls get made explicitly, but the lever — supplier approval, spec sign-off, audit findings — is already real in this role, not hypothetical.
About the role
This is a Category Technical Manager role within itsu grocery, the arm of itsu that supplies supermarkets, health food stores and wholesale/international channels with products including frozen gyoza & bao, crispy seaweed thins, brilliant'broth, rice'noodles and miso'easy. The postholder is responsible for the quality, safety, legality and authenticity of itsu grocery products and for supplier performance, reporting to and supporting the Head of Technical in maintaining and improving the food safety and quality management system, including keeping AA Grade certification against the BRC A&B standard. They have ultimate accountability for certain procedures and records, drive awareness of food safety culture in decision-making, and support the Head of Technical in shaping technical strategy and leading key policies and projects across the supply base. The role line-manages a Category Food Technologist/Senior Food Technologist, with a focus on that person's development. Key responsibilities include overseeing supplier approval and management, ensuring all safety, legal and quality information is captured, current and risk-assessed within required timeframes, and conducting food safety audits when required. The manager drives supplier performance improvement through relationship building, supplier reviews, KPIs and strategic technical plans, and analyses trends in customer complaints and product testing, leading investigations on high-risk issues while coaching the Food Technologist through low and medium risk ones to find root cause and implement corrective and preventative actions. They oversee ongoing monitoring of product quality, safety and authenticity, including routine surveillance testing, shelf-life evaluation and organoleptic testing. On NPD and EPD projects, they own the technical elements, ensuring the gate process is followed, nutritional/cooking instruction/shelf life testing is completed on time, and technical issues are foreseen and resolved before launch, attending production trials and first productions. They hold technical sign-off at gate 2 and support the Food Technologist in approving product specifications and artwork, ensuring compliance with itsu grocery brand standards and labelling regulations. Essential/preferred requirements: at least 6 years' experience in a food safety and technical role spanning manufacturing and retail/brand; strong knowledge of food safety, microbiology and food regulations; expertise in the chilled and frozen food category preferable; internal and external audit experience and understanding of GFSI accreditation requirements; strong stakeholder management and communication skills, working with multiple suppliers; experience with international suppliers, Asian suppliers preferred, with willingness to lone travel to Asia; line management experience preferable; a degree in food science or a similar subject; and a passion for food, particularly Asian-inspired food. The role is based in London with hybrid working (2 days from home), and the advert notes an option to work from home abroad. Benefits listed include a competitive salary and bonus scheme, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (with two interchangeable for other religious holidays), health insurance, a company pension scheme, 50% employee discount in itsu shops, free itsu lunch, discounts at major retailers, and a training budget for ongoing development. The employer asks applicants to anonymise CVs by removing name, university/school, address, email and photos before applying.
This is an extract. Read the full advert on the employer's site.
Key terms to include in your CV and cover letter
What this employer asks for, in their own words. Applications are often screened by software matching exact phrases, so where these genuinely describe your experience, use their wording rather than your own.
- food safety management
- food microbiology
- food regulations
- BRC A&B standard
- GFSI accreditation
- internal and external audits
- supplier approval and management
- supplier performance management
- root cause investigation
- corrective and preventative actions
- NPD gate process
- product specification approval
- shelf-life evaluation
- organoleptic testing
- stakeholder management
- line management
- international supplier management
- food science degree
How to position yourself
The language that lands with hiring managers in this kind of role.
Frame your interest in terms of supply-chain risk management, food safety culture and BRC A&B accreditation continuity — the areas this role is explicitly accountable for — rather than any values-led language. Highlight audit experience, GFSI accreditation understanding and experience managing international (particularly Asian) suppliers, since these are named essential requirements; a food science degree and line management experience are also worth foregrounding if you have them.
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