About the role

The Hygiene & QA Lead will oversee all site hygiene, sanitation, and quality standards to ensure compliance with regulatory and customer requirements. This role involves leading a dedicated team, managing laboratory operations, and partnering with production and engineering to drive continuous improvement in food safety culture.

What they look for

Hygiene management Quality assurance Food safety HACCP Sanitation Team leadership Microbiology Allergen management Environmental monitoring GMP Problem-solving Continuous improvement Hygienic design Laboratory management Regulatory compliance Risk assessment

Requirements

Candidates must have experience in hygiene, quality assurance, or sanitation within a food manufacturing environment. A degree or diploma in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related discipline is required, along with strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, and food safety standards.

Full description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

Are you passionate about food safety, quality, and operational excellence? We're looking for a Hygiene & QA Lead to champion hygiene, sanitation, and quality standards across our manufacturing site in Penafiel, ensuring we consistently deliver products our customers can trust.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll drive best-in-class hygiene practices, lead a dedicated team, and work closely with Production, Engineering, and Quality colleagues to strengthen food safety culture and deliver continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

Lead all site hygiene and sanitation activities, ensuring compliance with Kerry, GFSI, customer, and regulatory standards.
Manage and develop the site Hygiene Team and oversee third-party hygiene and pest control providers.
Coordinate cleaning validations, verifications, sanitation audits, and environmental monitoring programmes.
Analyse hygiene, microbiological, allergen, and pest control trends, driving corrective and preventative actions.
Support HACCP, risk assessments, allergen management, and hygienic design initiatives across the site.
Provide training and coaching to promote food safety, hygiene awareness, and operational excellence.
Lead the management of the site laboratory, including equipment maintenance, stock control, and associated quality activities.
Manage non-conformances and investigations, ensuring timely closure and effective corrective actions.
Partner closely with Production, Engineering, and Quality teams to continuously improve site standards and performance.

Qualifications and skills

Experience in Hygiene, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, or Sanitation within a food manufacturing environment.
Strong working knowledge of HACCP, GMP, allergen management, environmental monitoring, and food safety standards.
Proven leadership experience with the ability to influence, engage, and develop teams.
Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for continuous improvement.
Degree or Diploma in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Quality, or a related discipline.