About DukesHill

Founded in 1985 and based in Telford, DukesHill is a premium British fine food brand and proud holder of a Royal Warrant. Originally founded with a passion for producing the finest traditionally cured hams, today our range spans exceptional meats, artisan cheeses, chutneys, puddings, chocolates, hampers and more. Nearly 40 years on, our philosophy remains unchanged: putting flavour and quality before speed or yield, working with outstanding British producers and delivering exceptional food directly to our customers’ doors. With ambitious plans for growth and continued investment in the brand, it’s an exciting time to join DukesHill and be part of the next chapter in our story.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Technical, the Technical Assistant plays a key role in supporting the food safety, quality assurance, HACCP and regulatory compliance requirements for DukesHill and Donald Russell, operating as two direct-to-consumer food businesses.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the Head of Technical in maintaining the food safety management system, HACCP plan, SOPs, forms and EHO approval documentation for the frozen direct-to-consumer operation.
• Complete, review and file technical records, including goods-in checks, freezer temperature records, dispatch checks, cleaning records, calibration records, pest control reports, maintenance records and waste records.
• Carry out routine goods-in and product checks, including packaging condition, product identification, date codes, batch details, labelling, supplier information and product temperatures.
• Monitor frozen storage controls and escalate freezer alarms, temperature excursions, damaged packaging, short-dated stock and other non-conformances promptly.
• Assist with traceability checks, product hold procedures, withdrawal and recall exercises, complaint investigations and corrective action follow-up.
• Maintain product technical information, including specifications, ingredients, allergens, storage instructions, cooking instructions, shelf-life information and supplier approval documents.
• Liaise with suppliers and manufacturers to request specifications, certificates of analysis, product testing information, shelf-life evidence and corrective action responses.
• Support internal audits, hygiene inspections, good manufacturing practice checks, verification checks and preparation for EHO / FSA, customer or third-party visits.
• Coordinate product sampling and testing arrangements where required, ensuring results are recorded, reviewed and escalated where necessary.
• Support the management of staff training records and help coordinate refresher briefings on hygiene, allergen awareness, temperature control, traceability and relevant SOPs.
• Work closely with Operations, Customer Service, Buying, Marketing and E-commerce teams to ensure technical requirements are reflected in product set-up, customer information, labelling, fulfilment and dispatch processes.
• Help maintain the controlled document system, ensuring policies, SOPs, forms and records are current, version-controlled and accessible to the relevant teams.
• Promote a positive food safety culture by challenging poor practice, supporting continuous improvement and escalating food safety or quality concerns appropriately.
• Support Head of Technical during audits for both DR Fine Foods and Dukeshill and provide support in covering critical tasks during absences / holidays.