Nights Interim Hygiene Improvement Lead

Interim Hygiene Systems & Improvement Lead

Department: Operations / Technical
Sites: Both Manufacturing Sites
Contract: Interim
Hours: 40 hours per week
Reporting to: Head of Operations

Role Purpose

We are looking for an experienced Interim Hygiene Systems & Improvement Lead to support an established hygiene function across two food manufacturing sites.

This is not a traditional day-to-day Hygiene Manager position. Working alongside the existing hygiene leadership team, the focus will be on reviewing current hygiene processes, identifying opportunities for improvement and developing a robust framework of scheduled, periodic and deep cleans.

The successful interim will provide additional expertise and structure to ensure hygiene standards are consistently maintained, clearly documented and audit ready.

Key Responsibilities

• Review existing hygiene systems, cleaning schedules, processes and documentation across both sites.
• Identify gaps, risks and opportunities to improve current hygiene practices.
• Develop and implement a structured framework for routine, periodic and deep cleaning activities.
• Ensure cleaning frequencies, responsibilities, methods and standards are clearly defined and documented.
• Review hygiene documentation to ensure it meets BRCGS, legal and customer requirements.
• Support the sites in maintaining consistently audit-ready hygiene standards.
• Review cleaning validation and verification processes and recommend improvements where required.
• Work alongside the existing Hygiene Manager and Supervisors to embed improved systems and processes.
• Partner closely with Technical, Operations, Production, Engineering and Health & Safety.
• Support preparation for third-party, customer and BRCGS audits from a hygiene perspective.
• Identify hygiene-related non-conformances and support effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Review hygiene KPIs and recommend appropriate measures to monitor standards and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure hygiene processes consider COSHH, chemical controls and relevant health and safety requirements.
• Provide clear recommendations and leave sustainable systems in place for the existing team to manage following the interim assignment.

About You

You will be an experienced food manufacturing hygiene professional with a strong background in systems, process improvement and audit readiness.

You will be comfortable entering an established operation, assessing current practices and working collaboratively with existing management rather than taking over the day-to-day running of the hygiene function.

Essential Experience

• Strong hygiene management or hygiene systems experience within food manufacturing.
• Experience reviewing and improving hygiene processes and cleaning programmes.
• Strong understanding of scheduled, periodic and deep-cleaning requirements.
• Experience working within BRCGS-accredited manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of hygiene documentation, validation and verification.
• HACCP qualification.
• COSHH knowledge/training.
• Experience supporting customer and third-party audits.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence and implement change while working alongside an established operational team.

Desirable Experience

• Chilled or high-care food manufacturing experience.
• Major retailer exposure.
• Previous interim, project or hygiene improvement experience.
• IOSH Managing Safely.
• NEBOSH qualification.
• Experience delivering hygiene improvement or transformation projects across multiple sites.

Assignment Focus

The key objective of this interim assignment is to leave both sites with a clear, robust and sustainable hygiene framework, particularly around scheduled and periodic cleaning, that supports consistently high standards and ongoing audit readiness.