Category Technical Manager- Frozen
Added 20 Aug · still live
Not disclosed
Salary
Not disclosed by employer
£48,200
Going rate
Skilled Worker going rate
This role likely qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 2482 (85% match) is an eligible occupation, with a going rate of £48,200, and itsu is a licensed sponsor. That is our reading of the rules. Whether they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship is still their call.
This could also be SOC 1121 (Production managers and directors in manufacturing, Manages technical aspects of frozen food production). We read the code off the advert, so it is our best guess, not the employer's.
About the role
About Us
itsu is the healthy eating, Asian inspired quick service retail & grocery brand with over 70 stores in the UK and a leading grocery business across Europe and beyond.
Renowned for its best-in-class food made fresh in every shop every day, itsu has huge global ambitions with a commitment to continue to open many more stores and intensify the growth of its already thriving grocery arm. With its best-is-class healthy food, latest technology, innovation, and talented workforce, itsu is the future of fast food.
itsu [grocery], which this role falls under, takes the itsu brand into supermarkets, health food stores, online, wholesale and internationally with products such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza & bao, brilliantâbroth, riceânoodles & misoâeasy to name a fewâ¦
About The Role
As a Category Technical Manager supporting Frozen, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality, safety, legality, and authenticity of the frozen product range. Working closely with the Head of Technical, you will help drive food safety and quality standards across the supply base, lead continuous improvement initiatives, and foster a strong food safety culture throughout the business.
itsu is the healthy eating, Asian inspired quick service retail & grocery brand with over 70 stores in the UK and a leading grocery business across Europe and beyond.
Renowned for its best-in-class food made fresh in every shop every day, itsu has huge global ambitions with a commitment to continue to open many more stores and intensify the growth of its already thriving grocery arm. With its best-is-class healthy food, latest technology, innovation, and talented workforce, itsu is the future of fast food.
itsu [grocery], which this role falls under, takes the itsu brand into supermarkets, health food stores, online, wholesale and internationally with products such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza & bao, brilliantâbroth, riceânoodles & misoâeasy to name a fewâ¦
About The Role
As a Category Technical Manager supporting Frozen, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality, safety, legality, and authenticity of the frozen product range. Working closely with the Head of Technical, you will help drive food safety and quality standards across the supply base, lead continuous improvement initiatives, and foster a strong food safety culture throughout the business.
- Ensuring the quality, safety, legality, and authenticity of frozen products, while monitoring and improving supplier performance.
- Supporting the Head of Technical in maintaining and continuously enhancing the Food Safety & Quality Management System, ensuring AA Grade certification against the BRCGS Agents & Brokers Standard is achieved and maintained.
- Taking ownership and accountability for designated technical procedures, processes, and records.
- Driving awareness of food safety culture across the business and ensuring food safety considerations are embedded in everyday decision-making.
- Supporting the development and implementation of the technical strategy across the frozen supply base, including leading key policies, projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Oversee the approval and management of suppliers. Ensures all safety, legal and quality information is captured and assessed within the required timeframes, kept up to date and risks successfully managed. Conducts food safety audits when required.
- Drive an improvement in supplier performance through relationship building, supplier reviews, KPIs and the creation of strategic technical plans.
- Analyse and interpret trends in customer complaints and product testing. Conducts investigations with suppliers for high risk issues and coaches the Food Technologist/Senior Food Technologist through low and medium risk investigations to identify the root cause and put corrective and preventative actions in place.
- Oversees the ongoing monitoring of product quality, safety and authenticity and the management of investigations for routine surveillance testing, shelf-life evaluation and organoleptic testing.
- Responsible for the technical elements of NPD and EPD projects ensuring the gate process is followed, testing is completed on time for nutritional, cooking instructions and shelf life and any technical issues are foreseen and resolved prior to launch. Attends production trials and first productions.
- Responsible for the technical sign off at gate 2 and supports the Food Technologist/Senior Food Technologist to approve the product specifications and artwork accurately and on time. Signs off compliance with itsu [grocery] brand standards, labelling regulations and always has the consumer at the forefront.
- At least 6 yearsâ experience working in a food safety and technical role with manufacturing and retail/brand experience.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, microbiology and food regulations.
What We Offer
- Competitive Salary
- Competitive Bonus Scheme
- 25 days holiday + Bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
- Health Insurance
- Company Pension Scheme
- Hybrid working (Two days Working from Home)
- Opportunity to work from abroad
- 50% employeeâ¯discount in itsu shops
- Free itsu lunch EVERY DAY !
- Discounts at major retailers
- Salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes
- Development & Growth opportunities
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with itsu, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
SOC 2482 · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · ~137k in sampleP25 £40kP75 £66k
£33kmedian £50kgoing rate £48k£84k
Similar sponsored roles
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Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. itsu holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 2482 going rate of £48,200. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.