A key part of this role will be technical management of the Waitrose audit management programme and specification management programme.
The successful candidate will be the business owner for internal and external KPI management and lead for technical training programme and budget management. You will also lead external and internal audits across Own Brand.
At a Glance
Salary - £63,600-£95,300
Contract type - This is a Permanent contract.
Working pattern/flexible working - 35 hours per week. The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business.
Location - Bracknell Head Office with an expectation to travel to suppliers as required and 3 days in the office, however flexibility will be required.
Interviews for this role will be held in person at our Bracknell head office, likely 19th/20th August.
Key responsibilities:
Lead and deliver the management programme for supplier performance in order to ensure safety, legality and quality is delivered in line with Waitrose Technical and relevant brand standards.
Manage the Waitrose audit programme utilising third party solutions. Drive technical compliance, assess trends and manage key performance indicators.
Ability to conduct supplier approval audits, onboarding new suppliers in line with Waitrose Technical standards.
Development and implementation of appropriate technical, legal and brand strategies, policies and standards.
Leading the Operational Governance meeting held monthly to ensure business updates are shared amongst Own Brand Technical.
Leading a partner using Partnership Values to develop their potential and deliver the Waitrose Technical Strategy.
Responding to challenges within the supply base and supporting technical teams on underperforming suppliers.
Manage internal audits to ensure technical compliance.
Essential skills/experience you’ll need
Degree in food science or similar
HACCP training, Lead Assessor
Specialist training desirable e.g allergens, microbiology, pesticide management, specification management and product labelling legal requirements.
Demonstrable technical management experience within the food or non food industry Supplier management and technical development
Desirable skills/experience you may have
Food and non food auditor
Strong commercial understanding
Ability to train technical team
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To learn more about this role, please copy and paste this link into a new browser window: https://embed.wirewax.com/8114190Closing Date:
August 10, 2026
Pay:
Contract Type:
Hours of Work:
Job Level:
Where You'll Be Working:
Bracknell Campus, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YAABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPWe’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.
We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.
As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.
We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.
As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.
Important points to note:
It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Skills Required
- Degree in food science or similar
- HACCP training
- Lead Assessor
- Demonstrable technical management experience within the food or non-food industry
- Supplier management and technical development experience
- Allergen management training
- Microbiology training
- Pesticide management training
- Specification management experience/training
- Product labelling legal requirements knowledge
- Food and non-food auditor accreditation/experience
- Strong commercial understanding
- Ability to train technical team
What We Do
Working in Partnership for a happier world. Our Partnership is an ongoing experiment to find happier, more trusted ways of doing business, for the benefit of us all. We work together to create a successful business and a fairer, more sustainable future for Partners, customers, suppliers and communities. Our Partnership is owned entirely in trust by Partners which means we are more than employees; we share knowledge, power and profit. Our Purpose inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide. Visit www.jlpjobs.com directly to view our current opportunities.
