Dairy Technical Manager Job Description

This Dairy Technical Manager job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Technical and Quality Manager, Quality and Food Safety Manager, Site Technical Manager or Technical Lead. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.

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Job title	Dairy Technical Manager
Also known as	Technical and Quality Manager, Quality and Food Safety Manager, Site Technical Manager, Technical Lead
Department	Dairy quality and laboratory
Reports to	General Manager Operations
Direct reports	Technical Specialist

What does a Dairy Technical Manager do?

Leads technical and process development at a dairy processing site, supporting product development, process improvement, regulatory compliance and customer technical queries. Gives the operations leadership clear technical analysis and advice, and manages a small technical team.

Dairy Technical Manager duties and responsibilities

Technical and process development

Provide scientific support for new and existing product development and process changes
Lead factory scale-up trials for new value-added products and hand them over to production
Give production teams insight on yields, process efficiency and losses
Lead process and continuous improvement projects across the plant
Track new technologies and advise on those that could improve performance

Compliance and food safety

Make sure SOPs and technical documents are validated, approved and controlled
Support regulatory programmes, including export market access requirements
Keep the food safety plan for branded products current and compliant
Support raw material control and supplier assurance
Manage technical non-conformances and corrective and preventive actions
Lead the response to incidents of a technical nature

Customer and brand support

Answer product enquiries and give technical support to customers
Investigate complaints and keep complaint records
Make sure branded products made by co-manufacturers stay within specification
Keep regulatory and labelling files for branded products current

Reporting and business planning

Prepare technical and management system reports for senior leaders
Help set, monitor and report on labour and material budgets and targets
Contribute to the operations business plan and assist with site management and reporting
Represent the company at external technical forums

People and relationships

Lead, train and develop the technical team
Run staff inductions and supervise staff doing routine testing and checks
Make sure staff understand and follow food safety and statutory requirements
Build strong relationships with regulators, shareholders and community stakeholders

Dairy Technical Manager qualifications and experience

Essential

Degree in food science, dairy science, chemical engineering or a related technical subject
Experience in process or technology development in food or dairy manufacturing
Proven technical management experience in fast-moving consumer goods
Good knowledge of food regulatory and compliance requirements
Experience leading continuous improvement
Experience managing technical staff

Desirable

Experience of export market access requirements for dairy products
Experience supporting new product scale-up
Lean or Six Sigma training
Experience working with diverse shareholder and community groups

Skills and attributes

Technical analysis and problem solving
Clear report writing and presentation
Project management
Relationship building with regulators and stakeholders
Coaching and team leadership
Attention to detail in documentation

How success is measured

Regulatory and audit compliance
Process improvements delivered and savings achieved
New products scaled up successfully
Technical non-conformances closed on time
Customer complaint response times
Quality and timeliness of reports

Working conditions and safety

Site-based role covering offices and production areas, with PPE and hygiene rules in force. Safety-sensitive role that may involve drug and alcohol testing, with occasional travel to external forums, regulators and co-manufacturers.

Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
Follow food safety, hygiene, HACCP and quality procedures at all times
Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly

Dairy Technical Manager interview questions

Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Technical Manager role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.

How would you plan and run a factory scale-up trial for a new product?
What a good answer shows: Defines objectives, risks, process conditions and success criteria, involves production and quality, and reviews results before handover.
How would you improve yield on a dairy processing line?
What a good answer shows: Uses mass balances and loss data to find where solids are lost, and targets the largest practical improvements.
How would you assess whether a new processing technology is worth adopting?
What a good answer shows: Weighs benefits, costs, risks and fit with products, using trials and evidence rather than supplier claims.
How do you validate and control SOPs and technical documents?
What a good answer shows: Uses review, approval, version control and training so only current, validated documents are in use.
An export customer rejects a shipment for not meeting a market requirement. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Investigates quickly, checks requirements and records, communicates clearly with the customer and prevents a repeat.
A technical incident affects quality across several batches. How do you lead the response?
What a good answer shows: Contains product, coordinates the teams, finds the root cause and communicates clearly with management and customers.
How do you keep food safety controls current for branded products made by co-manufacturers?
What a good answer shows: Reviews their controls, specifications and audit results, and updates plans when products, processes or regulations change.
How do you support raw material control and supplier assurance?
What a good answer shows: Sets clear specifications, reviews supplier performance and approvals, and investigates failures thoroughly.
How do you develop a small technical team to handle customer queries independently?
What a good answer shows: Coaches with real cases, shares knowledge, sets clear standards for replies and gradually increases responsibility.
How do you make sure staff doing routine tests understand food safety requirements?
What a good answer shows: Trains clearly, supervises, checks records and explains why each requirement matters.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Dairy Technical Manager do?

What qualifications does a Dairy Technical Manager need?

Employers usually look for: degree in food science, dairy science, chemical engineering or a related technical subject; experience in process or technology development in food or dairy manufacturing; proven technical management experience in fast-moving consumer goods.

Who does a Dairy Technical Manager report to?

A Dairy Technical Manager usually reports to the General Manager Operations. Direct reports typically include technical Specialist.

Can I use this Dairy Technical Manager job description for my own vacancy?

Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.