Overview

This role offers the opportunity to shape a world-class, internationally connected CQV function, ensuring safe, compliant and efficient food manufacturing operations and supporting collaboration across apetito’s businesses in the UK, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands.

The CQV Manager will lead commissioning, qualification and validation activities for production systems, facilities and equipment, with primary responsibility for apetito’s Kitchen East food factory and the new Kitchen West manufacturing facility and with support for international projects when required. The role will ensure commissioning is planned, coordinated and delivered in a controlled, risk-based way from supplier acceptance through to operational handover, using approaches that can be applied consistently across different locations.

The role ensures operations meet applicable local and international food safety legislation, good manufacturing practice and internal quality standards. You will implement risk-based, scientifically sound validation programmes that support consistent, safe and efficient food production across different regulatory and operational environments, while supporting apetito’s environmental commitments and journey to Net Zero by 2040.

You will work closely with Engineering, Procurement, Technical and Quality, Production, Health and Safety and NPD colleagues across the UK, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands when required, providing clear technical leadership, strong documentation discipline and a continuous-improvement mindset across cultures, time zones and operating environments.

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain an internationally aligned CQV strategy for new and existing plant systems (equipment, utilities and processes), enabling appropriate local application while maintaining consistent group standards.
• Lead commissioning, IQ/OQ/PQ and validation activities, ensuring alignment with applicable GMP, HACCP, BRCGS, ISO 22000 and relevant local regulatory requirements, and defining clear readiness criteria for safe handover into live production.
• Coordinate dry commissioning activities, working with Engineering, suppliers and operational stakeholders to ensure equipment, utilities, controls, safety systems and documentation are checked, challenged and progressed before product is introduced.
• Lead wet commissioning, coordinating cross-functional involvement from Production, Technical, Quality, Health and Safety, NPD and Engineering to prove process capability, product quality, food safety controls, hygiene standards, throughput and operational readiness.
• Partner with Procurement, NPD, Engineering, Technical and Production teams in the UK, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands, as required, to embed CQV requirements into local and international project plans, timelines, supplier engagement and handover to operations.
• Review and approve validation protocols, reports and change control documentation.
• Lead risk assessments and define mitigation plans for process validation, equipment changes and new product introductions.
• Manage and coach team members in CQV practice, providing technical guidance on validation approaches, tools and best practice.
• Develop and deliver CQV training and coaching for site and international teams, promoting consistent standards, adaptable local ways of working and the sharing of best practice across Kitchen East, Kitchen West and apetito’s businesses in the UK, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands.
• Maintain robust, consistent traceability and data integrity to support internal audits, external inspections and customer or regulatory requirements across relevant jurisdictions.
• Embed sustainability considerations into CQV plans, helping to reduce environmental impact through efficient use of energy and water, waste prevention and support for circularity initiatives.
• Embrace automated solutions and new technology to improve CQV delivery (e.g., digital data capture, monitoring/traceability tools and validation lifecycle documentation systems).
• Keep up to date with food industry regulations, standards and emerging technologies in relevant countries, assess their implications and translate them into practical, proportionate CQV improvements.
• Work with Procurement and Engineering to specify requirements and support the acquisition of new equipment, ensuring CQV needs are built into selection, supplier documentation and acceptance criteria.
• Coordinate with international and local consultants, equipment suppliers and site teams to plan and deliver qualification activities where required, ensuring clear responsibilities, effective communication and consistent documentation.