PepsiCo UK Hiring Food Quality and Compliance Manager | Leading Global Food & Beverage Brand | HACCP BRC AIB Compliance Career
Are you an experienced Food Quality and Compliance Manager searching for a senior leadership role with one of the world’s most recognised food and beverage brands in the United Kingdom? PepsiCo UK — home to beloved nation’s favourite brands including Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, and Monster Munch — is seeking a highly skilled Food Safety and Quality Compliance professional ready to lead, inspire, and drive exceptional food safety standards across a world-class UK manufacturing site.
About PepsiCo UK: Nation’s Favourite Food and Snack Brand
PepsiCo UK proudly manufactures some of Britain’s most loved snacks and beverages across multiple strategically located UK sites. From the iconic Quaker mill in Cupar to the Doritos factory in Coventry and one of the world’s largest crisp factories in Leicester, PepsiCo UK operates at genuinely impressive scale with global reach and local pride.
Company Highlights:
- Products enjoyed by consumers over one billion times daily in 200+ countries
- Generated $70 billion net revenue in 2020
- Voted Top Employer for 11 consecutive years — an extraordinary achievement
- Home to iconic UK brands: Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, Monster Munch
- Fantastic reputation for developing and launching consumer-loved products
- Part of PepsiCo Global — one of the world’s largest food and beverage corporations
Position Details: Food Quality and Compliance Manager
Job Title: Food Quality and Compliance Manager
Company: PepsiCo UK
Industry: Food and Beverage Manufacturing | Quality Compliance | Food Safety Management
Job Type: Full-Time Permanent
Location: United Kingdom — Manufacturing Site Based
Reporting To: Quality Manager (QM) / Site Leadership Team
Career Level: Senior Management | Quality Leadership
Key Standards: AIB, BRC, HACCP, TACCP, VACCP, QCDM
Role Overview: Food Quality and Compliance Manager
As Food Quality and Compliance Manager at PepsiCo UK, you’ll occupy a genuinely critical senior leadership position within one of the most respected food manufacturing operations in the United Kingdom. Your primary mission centres on driving food safety culture, regulatory compliance excellence, and quality system effectiveness across the entire manufacturing site.
You’ll work closely with Operations Managers, Engineering leads, and the wider Site Leadership Team — deputising for the Quality Manager when required and serving as the key communicator and champion for all Food Safety and Quality Compliance initiatives across the UK operation.
This is a role where your expertise directly protects millions of consumers, upholds PepsiCo’s world-class quality reputation, and shapes the food safety culture of an entire manufacturing facility.
Key Responsibilities
Food Safety and Quality Compliance Leadership
AIB and BRC Compliance:
Maintain full site compliance with AIB (American Institute of Baking) and BRC (British Retail Consortium) food safety and quality standards — two of the most rigorous and internationally recognised certification frameworks in food manufacturing.
Foreign Body and Harm Reduction:
Drive proactive initiatives to reduce harm and foreign body complaints across all production lines, implementing robust preventative measures and establishing systematic monitoring programmes.
Food Safety Culture Building:
Build and embed a genuine food safety-first culture throughout the entire site — influencing behaviours at every level from production operatives through to senior management, ensuring food safety becomes everyone’s shared daily responsibility.
Legal Compliance Ownership:
Serve as the site’s legal compliance owner, ensuring the factory remains in full control of all relevant food safety legislation, regulatory requirements, and industry standards at all times.
HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP Management
Ensure the site’s HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), TACCP (Threat Assessment Critical Control Points), and VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Points) programmes are properly established, effectively managed, and regularly reviewed alongside a comprehensive allergen management programme.
Non-Conformance and Hold Management
Manage all food safety non-conformances through the formal hold and concession process — making timely, well-reasoned decisions regarding product holds in strict accordance with PepsiCo UK (PIUK) quality standards and regulatory requirements.
Behavioural Leadership Across Operations
Lead targeted food safety behaviour improvement initiatives working through Operations Managers, Engineering Manager, and Site Operations Managers — driving lasting cultural change rather than simple procedural compliance.
Shared Learning Implementation
Drive a genuine “shared learning” approach to food safety management — ensuring incidents, near-misses, and experiences from any individual production line are systematically acted upon and improvements shared across all lines simultaneously.
UK and Global Communication
Serve as a key communicator for food safety and compliance initiatives within the UK operation, liaising effectively with the UK Sector Quality Manager and Global Food Safety Team as appropriate to ensure alignment with international standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely and collaboratively with Operations Managers, Site Operations Managers, Specialists, and all UK Food Safety & Quality Managers — building strong professional relationships that enable effective quality management across complex, fast-moving manufacturing environments.
Capital and Commercial Change Leadership
Act as QFS (Quality Food Safety) lead for capital investment projects and commercial changes — ensuring quality and food safety considerations are embedded from the earliest stages of any new process, equipment, or product development initiative.
Site Leadership Team Deputising
Deputise confidently for the Quality Manager during absences and holidays, participating in:
- Weekly QCDM (Quality, Cost, Delivery, Morale) review meetings
- Weekly Safety Gemba attendance and observations
- Liaising with Site Operations Managers, EHS Team, and the wider Site Leadership Team
Food Defence Plan Management
Take full responsibility for the Site Food Defence Plan — including conducting and documenting Vulnerability Assessment updates and reviews as required by current regulatory frameworks and PepsiCo internal standards.
Essential Qualifications and Technical Skills
Analytical and Scientific Capability
Microbiological and Analytical Interpretation:
Demonstrated ability to understand and accurately interpret a wide range of analytical and microbiological results, making timely, appropriate, and well-reasoned quality judgements based on complex technical data.
Root Cause Analysis:
Proven proficiency in applying root cause analysis methodologies and developing effective CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) plans that deliver lasting improvement rather than temporary fixes.
Quality Systems Expertise
Comprehensive Standards Knowledge:
Strong working understanding of food safety and quality management systems including:
- AIB and BRC certification standards
- HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP frameworks
- PepsiCo Quality Systems and internal protocols
- IPS (Integrated Pest Solutions)
- FIC (Food Information for Consumers) regulations
- QCDM operational review processes
Hold and Release Processes:
Expert understanding of product hold and release processes, food safety risk assessment, and incident management procedures within high-volume food manufacturing environments.
Leadership and Management Competencies
Cross-Functional Problem Solving:
Proven ability to manage cross-functional Problem Solving teams — bringing together diverse expertise to resolve complex quality and food safety challenges efficiently and effectively.
Corrective Action Planning:
Strong capability to set, plan, and see corrective and preventative actions through to completion — ensuring improvements are sustained rather than temporary.
Incident Investigation Leadership:
Experience leading complex incident investigations within food manufacturing, including allergen incidents, foreign body complaints, and microbiological non-conformances.
Regulatory Knowledge
Regulatory Authority Understanding:
Ideally holds solid knowledge of regulatory authorities, their processes, and powers — including Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards — enabling confident engagement during inspections and investigations.
Why Choose a Food Safety Career with PepsiCo UK
Top Employer Recognition
PepsiCo UK’s 11 consecutive Top Employer awards demonstrate genuine, sustained commitment to creating an outstanding working environment. This recognition isn’t accidental — it reflects deliberate investment in people, culture, and professional development.
Global Scale with Local Impact
Working for PepsiCo UK means contributing to a global operation while making a direct, measurable difference to UK consumers who enjoy PepsiCo products every single day. Your food safety work protects millions of families across Britain.
Career Progression Opportunities
Senior Food Quality and Compliance Managers at PepsiCo typically progress toward Site Quality Manager, UK Sector Quality Manager, and Global Food Safety leadership positions — with genuine opportunities for international career development across PepsiCo’s worldwide manufacturing network.
World-Class Manufacturing Experience
Gaining experience managing food safety compliance across one of the world’s largest crisp factories and other major UK manufacturing sites provides exceptional career credentials valued across the entire global food and beverage industry.
Industry-Leading Brands Portfolio
Working across brands including Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, and Monster Munch provides exposure to diverse product categories, manufacturing processes, and consumer safety challenges that significantly broaden technical expertise.
The Importance of Food Quality and Compliance Management
In today’s increasingly regulated food manufacturing environment, Food Quality and Compliance Managers play an absolutely essential role. With consumers more informed and demanding than ever before, and regulatory authorities maintaining rigorous oversight of food production operations, companies like PepsiCo UK depend on exceptional quality leadership to maintain consumer trust and brand integrity.
The role combines technical expertise, strategic thinking, people leadership, and cultural influence — making it one of the most challenging, impactful, and professionally rewarding careers available within UK food and beverage manufacturing.
Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent
Classification: Food Quality and Compliance Manager | Senior Quality Leadership
Industry: Food and Beverage Manufacturing | FMCG | Snack Food Production
Location: United Kingdom — Manufacturing Site Based
Standards: AIB | BRC | HACCP | TACCP | VACCP | QCDM
Career Level: Senior Management with Progression to Site/Sector Quality Director
