Technical & Operational Excellence Manager

Müller UK & Ireland is wholly owned by Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller which employs over 31,000 people throughout Europe. In the UK, Müller develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of branded and private label dairy products made with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain.Müller is ranked within the top 20 in The Grocer’s Top 100 list of Britain’s Biggest Brands and is picked from shelves millions of times each year. Müller UK & Ireland includes:

Müller Milk & Ingredients which aims to be Britain’s private label dairy leader and produces branded and private label fresh milk, cream, butter and ingredients products. It boasts a network of dairies and depots servicing customers throughout the country.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts which is the UK’s leading yogurt manufacturer which aims to create millions more Müller moments for its consumers. It is responsible for major brands like Müller Corner, Müllerlight, Müller Bliss, Müller Rice, FRijj and Müller Kefir Smoothie and produces chilled desserts under licence from Mondelez International. It also supplies the UK private label yogurt market from a dedicated, state of the art yogurt facility.

Technical & Operational Excellence Manager

Location: Field-Based (Minimum 3 Days On-Site Weekly)

Function: Technical & Quality

Reports To: Head of Technical & Quality

Travel: Up to 70% across manufacturing sites

Are you passionate about driving quality, safety, and continuous improvement across manufacturing operations?

Join Müller as a Technical & Operational Excellence Manager and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of food safety and product quality across our network of sites.

About the Role

This is a high-impact, cross-functional role focused on eliminating repeat food safety and quality issues. You’ll lead root cause investigations, coach site teams, and embed a culture of technical excellence and proactive problem-solving. Acting as a central technical expert, you’ll influence standards, drive compliance, and support continuous improvement across the business.

Key Responsibilities as Technical & Operational Excellence Manager:

• Lead structured investigations into repeat non-conformances using tools like 5 Whys, Fishbone, and DMAIC.
• Develop and manage a network-wide non-conformance matrix and trend analysis.
• Ensure robust validation and verification programs are in place and effective.
• Drive corrective and preventative actions (CAPA) and verify their long-term success.
• Coach and challenge site technical teams to build RCA capability and audit readiness.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, NPD, and Supply Chain to embed technical excellence.
• Report performance against KPIs and escalate strategic risks to senior leadership.

What We’re Looking For:

• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Dairy Science, or related field.
• Experience in a senior technical or quality role within FMCG (preferably dairy or chilled food).
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards (BRCGS, HACCP, ISO 22000).
• Advanced problem-solving and continuous improvement skills (Lean Six Sigma preferred).
• Excellent communicator and influencer, able to lead without direct authority.
• Highly analytical, resilient, and collaborative.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme.
• Company car or car allowance.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Pension scheme with company contributions.
• Private healthcare options.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Safe, modern working environments with state-of-the-art equipment.
• Supportive culture focused on growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Long-term career opportunities with a market-leading brand.