Quality Assurance Manager – Ambient Team

Quality Assurance Manager – Ambient Team

£42,000 - £49,000 plus great benefits and a company car (Work Level 6A)

12-month secondment

Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office (find out more about our hybrid working policy at

We’re looking for a Quality Assurance Manager to join our Quality Team here at Co-op. In this role, you’ll be responsible for managing the end-to-end quality process for Co-op Own Brand products within our Ambient category. Working closely with our suppliers and internal teams, you’ll use insight, evidence and influence to drive quality performance and ensure our products deliver the experience our customers and member-owners expect.

This is a hybrid role, with time split between home, our Manchester City Centre office and visits to suppliers and other relevant sites.

Why this job matters

Quality is at the heart of what we do. You’ll work collaboratively with suppliers and our internal teams to set the quality position for our Ambient category, monitor performance and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain. You’ll build strong relationships, challenge where standards aren’t being met and make sure our resources and activity are focused on the areas that will make the biggest difference to our customers.

What you’ll do

• Prioritise and deliver work in line with our Co-op Own Brand Strategy
• Take responsibility for the end-to-end quality of our Co-op Own Brand Ambient product range
• Work collaboratively with supplier sites, depots, stores and head office teams to understand quality performance and prioritise activity
• Use quality insight and data to identify opportunities, manage risks and drive continuous improvement across the Ambient category
• Build strong relationships with Ambient suppliers and internal stakeholders, influencing and challenging where appropriate to improve quality performance
• Monitor compliance of Co-op Own Brand Ambient products against our quality assurance standards
• Make sure key quality messages, expectations and actions are clearly communicated across the Ambient supply chain
• Lead, coach and develop a team of two, setting clear priorities and objectives and providing regular feedback and support
• Work collaboratively across Quality, Technical, NPD and other relevant teams to deliver the best outcomes for our customers

What you’ll bring

• Experience in a quality-focused role within the food industry, whether technical, quality or development
• Experience of working within food manufacturing and the wider supply chain, ideally within an Ambient category
• A passion for food and quality, with a strong focus on the customer experience
• The ability to challenge, influence and drive improvement when quality standards aren’t being met
• Experience of managing internal and external partners and building successful, collaborative relationships
• Line management, coaching or mentoring experience
• The ability to use data, insight and evidence to make informed quality decisions
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

We’d love to hear from people who are curious, collaborative and passionate about making a difference to the quality of our Co-op Own Brand Ambient products.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

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