Food Safety & Quality Auditor

Overview

Who are we, and what do we do? You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.

We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door - meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

As an inclusive, forward-thinking business, we take pride in our approach to Standards and Compliance across Avara Foods and are looking for a highly competent and motivated Food Safety & Quality Auditor to join our Compliance team.

The role requires travel to our nationwide sites and you would be required to enter and be exposed to the different working environments. As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor you’ll be working Monday to Friday 08:00 - 17:00 (Travels between sites required).

As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor your role will be to safeguard product safety, quality, and legality across all Avara Foods sites through a structured program of internal audits, ensuring ongoing compliance with BRCGS, retailer standards, and statutory legislation but also to act as a group-wide resource, providing independent assurance, coaching, and technical expertise to site teams, supporting them in maintaining certification and driving continuous improvement in food safety and quality systems.

• Lead and conduct internal audits across all manufacturing sites to verify compliance with company policies, BRCGS, retailer standards, and legal requirements.
• Support sites in preparing for third-party and customer audits, including gap assessments and readiness reviews.
• Identify non-conformances, record them within the electronic audit platform (e.g., Safety Culture / iAuditor), and work with the site management team to drive continuous improvement through effective follow up and close out of corrective and preventive actions.
• Support development and deployment of standardised internal audit templates and guidance materials.
• Support sites in delivering the Food Safety and Quality Culture program and maintaining compliance with BRCGS, retailer and legislative codes of practice.
• Verify that corrective actions from audit findings are effectively implemented and sustained.
• Support group representation during retailer or third-party audits and site visits, providing expert input and assurance to demonstrate compliance.
• Where required, participate in BRCGS or customer audits, ensuring compliance.

• Extensive experience in food manufacturing or retail technical auditing.
• Lead Auditor qualification (ISO 9001 / BRCGS or equivalent).
• Demonstrable experience conducting independent audits to BRCGS and/or retailer standards (e.g., Tesco, M&S).
• Strong working knowledge of food safety systems, BRCGS, and relevant food legislation.
• Proven ability to coach, influence, and build capability within site teams.
• Experience of using electronic auditing platforms (e.g., Safety Culture, iAuditor) and interpreting audit performance data.
• Excellent communication, organisation, and report-writing skills.
• Analytical mindset with ability to interpret data and identify root causes and trends.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly to sites nationwide.

• Intermediate or Advanced HACCP (Level 3 or above).
• Intermediate or Advanced Food Safety (Level 3 or above).
• Understanding of risk-based auditing, problem-solving tools (5 Whys, Fishbone, etc.), and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Retailer auditing experience or auditor approval (Tesco, M&S).

As a Food Safety & Quality Auditor you will enjoy a secure, supportive and progressive working environment, where your contribution and achievements will be recognised and rewarded. We offer comprehensive training as well as continuous development as you build your…