Qual, Health & Saf. Specialist
Americold · Whitchurch
Role summary
Americold Whitchurch is looking for a QEHS Specialist to lead on‑site Quality, Food Safety, Environmental Management and Health & Safety. You will ensure compliance with legal, customer and certification requirements, maintain continuous audit readiness, and strengthen QEHS culture across all operations. A hands‑on role for an experienced QEHS professional who enjoys working closely with operational teams in a regulated environment.
Key responsibilities
Quality & food safety leadership
- Maintain and improve the site QMS • Ensure compliance with legal, customer and certification requirements
- Lead HACCP, TACCP and VACCP activities
- Drive continuous improvement in food safety and hygiene
HACCP leadership
- Lead HACCP reviews, validation and verification
- Maintain HACCP studies and coordinate the HACCP Team
- Ensure strong operational implementation of food safety controls
Audit readiness & certification
- Maintain continuous audit readiness
- Lead internal audits and manage corrective actions
- Coordinate customer, certification and regulatory audits (BRCGS S&D)
- Act as primary site representative during external audits
Regulatory & customer compliance
- Support regulatory inspections and compliance documentation
- Manage customer standards and technical requirements
- Participate in customer visits, audits and technical reviews
Environmental management
- Maintain compliance with environmental legislation
- Monitor waste, recycling and sustainability programmes
- Conduct environmental inspections and support incident investigations
Health & safety support
- Coordinate site Health & Safety activities
- Support safe systems of work and contractor management
- Lead incident investigations and corrective action follow‑up
- Deliver or coordinate key safety training
Qualifications & experience
Education & professional background
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Quality, Environmental or H&S
- 5+ years’ experience in QEHS, Food Safety, Quality or H&S (food, FMCG or logistics)
- Strong experience with BRCGS S&D and HACCP
- Experience in food manufacturing, logistics, cold chain or warehousing
- Proven HACCP leadership and TACCP/VACCP experience
Technical & functional skills
- Solid understanding of UK food safety, H&S and environmental legislation
- Skilled in internal auditing, RCA and corrective action management
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience leading certification, customer and internal audits
- HACCP Level 3/4; Lead Auditor preferred
Leadership & personal attributes
- Structured, detail‑focused and reliable
- Strong communicator and influencer
- Analytical, proactive and solution‑oriented
- Calm and confident in regulated environments
For over 120 years, Americold has connected producers, processors, distributors, and retailers to ensure food stays safe, fresh, and accessible. With 240+ facilities across four continents and 14,000+ team members, we’re a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics. Our mission is to help our customers feed the world – and we’re looking for people who share that purpose. We value customer service, innovation, and inclusion, and we invest in our people’s growth and well-being. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in a company that puts people first, Americold is the place for you.