Technical Policy Manager

Job Type    Buying Commercia Food Technology
Region    South East England
Location    Bracknell
Preferred Hours    Full Time
Partnership Level 06

This role is at Partnership Level 6 and includes entitlement to the following additional benefits:

• Invitation to join the AXA Private Medical Insurance scheme
• 5 weeks holiday

Further details will be provided at interview and upon successful offer
Closing Date    19/5/2019

Hours of Work - 35 hours per week Monday to Friday - 09:00-17:30 

We have a number of different ways to work flexibly so at your interview feel free to talk about what flexibility means to you. There are no guarantees however it may open the door to not only a new role but a new way of working.

Duties & Responsibilities

It's an exciting time to join the Commercial team in one of the UK's best-loved brands.

At Waitrose & Partners, we're reshaping our Commercial function and investing in new capabilities to secure the future of the business - creating a strong, relevant and sustainable Waitrose with a distinctive place in the market. Commercial is in a period of exciting change, leading the way in Waitrose & Partners, making it an exciting place to come and join.

As the retail world changes around us, we're continually evolving our strategy and our proposition to lead the way in meeting the needs of our customers, and to stay ahead of our competitors.

The Commercial Directorate has a key role to play, working in partnership with suppliers to deliver innovative sourcing, buying, pricing and distinctive ranging of our branded and own-label products.

This is all part of working at the heart of a sustainable and thriving Partnership that's fit for the future.

In Commercial, we are set up and work in a way that means that:

• Our customers choose us first - because we offer inspiring and innovative products and services that they really want, with the best quality and price
• People choose to work here - because it's where they are valued and recognised for their contribution
• We work together to deliver sustainable and profitable revenue, ensuring long-term financial success

Our Commercial Partners will work in team that:

• Are closely aligned with our Customer function, using data to understand customer trends and preferences 
• Adopt a Category Management approach, with multi-disciplinary trading teams organised around the food and products we provide 
• Support people to develop their skills and career paths, with opportunities for more flexibility, better movement and high-quality professional development
• Are part of building the future of Commercial for Waitrose & Partners
• Works collaboratively and horizontally across multiple teams and functions

As Technical Policy Manager you will lead and coordinate the development, publication and effective implementation of Technical & Brand policy in relation to legislative, brand and customer requirements. You will be responsible for identify gaps in Technical & Brand policy and work with key stakeholders (e.g Category Teams, Commercial functions and Retail) to create effective policies that further strengthen and improve them.
Work with key stakeholders ( e.g. CSR, Brand Development, Customer directorate) to support new and developing initiatives with Technical & Brand policy that helps unlock future growth areas.
Set in place and lead a system of internal audit to review compliance to Technical & Brand standards. Ensuring that this insight is used to further strengthen ongoing understanding and compliance.
Work with Product Technology and key stakeholders to develop and continually improve the most effective way of engaging and training the content of Technical & Brand policies both internally to partners and externally to suppliers.
Represent Waitrose & Partners at relevant Government and non Government working groups to gain insight to support further development of our Technical/Brand policies.

Job Requirements

• Developing and maintaining effective Technical/Brand policy(e.g. Product Manufacturing Standards, Product Integrity and labelling Standards, Product Quality Assurance Standards). Product Incident Management, that support our Customer vision and protects our brand.
• Effective communication and implementation and review of Technical/Brand policy.
• Work closely with numerous stakeholders to internally and externally to advise and lead Technical/Brand policy creation and impro
• Establish a system of Technical/Brand policies that support ongoing and commercial sustainability.
• Continually review to understand if Technical/Brand policies can add additional value or be reduced to reduce non-value adding activity.
• Creation, coordinate, development, publication and effective implementation of Technical & Brand policy.
• Internal audit process to verify compliance to Technical & Brand policy.
• To act as a key point of contact for expert knowledge of our Technical & Brand Policies.

Required essential experience skills and qualifications

• Degree qualified in relevant Food Science / Technology / Law or equivalent extensive experience.
• Extensive experience of interpreting and applying legislative requirements in relation to trading law and
• Technical/Brand standards in a food retailing environment. 
• Excellent written and communication skills (Google Docs/Slides/Sheets).