Technical Manager - Food
Nando’s · Putney, South West London
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.
Nando's whole menu runs on chicken, so a technical manager who signs off supplier approvals, audits and HACCP-based risk assessments is touching standards that apply to that poultry supply chain even though this advert's own examples lean on produce and quality systems generally. Specifications and supplier standards are exactly where welfare commitments either become enforceable contract terms or stay as marketing language, and this role sits in the team responsible for writing and checking against those standards. It's not a role with final say over welfare policy, but it's a genuine seat inside technical sourcing at a business that only sells one protein, which makes the produce and quality remit described here a plausible route toward more explicit animal welfare and supply chain standards work over time.
About the role
This is a Technical Manager role within Nando's Technical Sourcing team, a function responsible for ensuring the products and services Nando's sources are ethical, safe, high quality and aligned with its sustainability and animal welfare commitments. The role combines technical expertise with commercial thinking to turn sourcing strategies into practice, supporting restaurants, Central Support teams, customers and partners. Core responsibilities include leading technical supplier relationships to ensure suppliers meet Nando's standards for food safety, quality, sustainability and ethical sourcing; playing an integral role in new product development (NPD), existing product development (EPD) and product launches, ensuring accurate allergen, nutritional and specification data is delivered on time; managing supply chain risk through supplier approvals, audits, HACCP-based risk assessments, surveillance testing and quality management programmes; partnering with Procurement, Food Innovation, Sustainability, Operations and Marketing teams on innovation and continuous improvement; leading investigations into quality and food safety incidents, driving root cause analysis and preventative measures; supporting produce sourcing year-round including managing seasonal challenges and continuity of supply; and coaching and developing direct reports. Essential requirements are 5-7 years+ technical experience within produce, chilled food manufacturing or food retail/QSR environments; strong technical knowledge across food safety, quality systems, product development, HACCP, allergen management and relevant food legislation; experience managing supplier performance, audits and technical compliance programmes; and proven people leadership with coaching experience. Knowledge of BRCGS, Global GAP, Leaf and key legislative requirements within the produce and prepared sector is ideally required. The role also calls for confident stakeholder influencing, the ability to navigate complexity and drive change across a diverse supply base, and a passion for sustainability and continuous improvement. Benefits listed include a company bonus, private healthcare, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, free Nando's food at the workplace and 40% discount otherwise, annual team trips, a four-week sabbatical every five years of service, and Reward Gateway membership with discounts. No work arrangement, closing date or reporting line is stated in the advert.
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.
- technical supplier management
- supplier approvals
- HACCP
- risk assessment
- surveillance testing
- quality management systems
- new product development
- existing product development
- allergen management
- nutritional specification data
- food safety legislation
- BRCGS
- Global GAP
- root cause analysis
- people leadership
- stakeholder influencing
- cross-functional partnering
How to position yourself
The language that lands with hiring managers in this kind of role.
Frame your interest around supply chain risk management, food safety governance and continuity of supply — the language of HACCP, audits and supplier performance that this advert already uses — rather than leading with welfare motivations. Building fluency in BRCGS, Global GAP and technical compliance programmes, and being able to speak to root cause investigations and quality management systems, will position you strongly for this and similar technical sourcing seats.
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