Global Head of Food Safety and Defence

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Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you. As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don't compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits. To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led , resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility , we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact Click "Apply" to get started. What will this role achieve? The Global Head of Food Safety and Defence is accountable for protecting consumers and pladis global brands by leading the design, governance, and execution of global food safety and food defence programmes across all manufacturing plants, R&D facilities, co-manufacturers, suppliers, and distribution centres. This role ensures that products are designed, manufactured and distributed safely, consistently, and in full compliance with global regulatory and customer expectations. It also provides strategic leadership to prevent, detect, and respond to intentional adulteration, tampering, extortion, and emerging threats. The position acts as the organisation's top subject matter expert (SME) in food safety science, microbiology, contaminants, toxicology, allergen management, hygiene, and food defence. What will be your key deliverables? Global Strategy & Governance Develop and own the enterprise food safety and defence strategy , ensuring alignment with corporate vision, regulatory requirements, and GFSI schemes. Establish global policies, standards, and performance indicators for food safety, hygiene, allergen control, traceability, and food defence . Lead global governance forums and represent food safety and defence for the business Ensure integration of food safety and defence into innovation, supply chain, procurement, and operations decision-making. Food Safety Systems & Compliance Oversee global implementation of food safety systems including HACCP, environmental monitoring, allergen management, sanitation, and GMP compliance. Ensure global alignment to BRCGS, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, and customer requirements. Lead global audit programmes and provide oversight to regional QA functions. Develop global risk assessment frameworks for high-risk ingredients such as cocoa, milk powder, nuts, and flavourings . Food Defence & Product Security Drive global vulnerability assessments (TACCP/VACCP) and ensure sites implement and maintain mitigation plans. Coordinate with Security, Procurement, and Supply Chain to protect facilities, materials, people, and processes against intentional harm. Oversee product security across all logistics channels, including co-manufacturers, warehouses, and distribution partners. Incident Management & Crisis Response Serve as Global Technical Expert for food safety and defence -related events such as: Product contamination Allergen cross-contact Microbiological outbreaks Tampering/extortion threats Manage root cause analyses, corrective action programmes , and preventive measures globally. Partner with Legal, Corporate Communications, Security, and Regulatory during crises. Scientific Leadership & Innovation Provide technical leadership on food safety science, microbiology, toxicology, allergens, and emerging risks. Guide R&D and Operations on hygienic design, thermal processing, novel ingredients, and new technologies . Oversee horizon scanning for emerging global risks including fraud, cyber-physical risks and climate-driven ingredient challenges. Work with Regulatory Affairs to assess the risks and impacts of regulatory changes and develop mitigation strategies for the business. Talent, Training & Culture Build and maintain a high-performing global food safety and defence community. Develop competency frameworks, training pathways, and certification programmes for food safety and TACCP/VACCP. Promote a proactive food safety culture across the entire organisation -from shop floor teams to senior executives. External Engagement & Advocacy Represent the company at global regulatory forums, food safety institutes, and industry alliances (e.g., GFSI, Codex-related work, regional regulators). Build partnerships with academic institutions and external experts in food safety and defence . Benchmark industry best practices and integrate learnings into company standards. Bring your experience. Essential Education & Training Bachelor's or Master's in Food Science , Food Safety, Microbiology, Chemistry, Public Health, or r

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