Food safety manager – ireland and northern ireland

Food Safety Manager – Ireland and Northern Ireland
Retail - BT1 5 BY
Contract: Full Time Salary: €45,000 – 55,000 DOEContracted Hours: 40
The Wonderfield Group has recently been purchased by Zensho Holdings, the leading food service company in Japan with a market cap of $5.5b and whose aim is to become the worlds largest food company, a position from which we can eradicate hunger and poverty from around the globe.
We operate restaurants, factories, and thousands of sushi kiosks and have recently built a successful cut fruit business, Snowfruit.
Combining this with the three businesses previously owned by Zensho, AFC, Sushi Circle and Sushi Take, results in annual sales of $2.5b and Ebitda in excess of $140m a year with an ambitious growth trajectory.
Required Skills & Experience
Minimum 3 years' experience in food safety, technical, or quality roles within food manufacturing, foodservice, or retail.
Strong working knowledge of HACCP principles (minimum Level 3), food hygiene, allergen management, and food law.
Experience in conducting audits or internal inspections and managing corrective actions.
Confident delivering food safety training and coaching at all levels.
Practical understanding of product specifications and supplier approval processes.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to influence and engage teams.
Proactive, organised, and solutions-driven, with strong attention to detail.
Must reside in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
The role will be a hybrid / field based.
Desirable
Degree or equivalent qualification in Food Science, Food Safety, or a related discipline.
Experience with multi-site or franchise operations.
Strong IT literacy with ability to manage and update digital technical systems.
Role Purpose
As the Food Safety Manager – Ireland, you will be responsible for ensuring the highest standards of food safety, quality, and compliance across all Irish sites.
This role will take ownership of all internal food safety inspections, support new site openings through hands‑on training, and manage technical administration and projects.
You will be instrumental in embedding a proactive food safety culture within the Irish business, driving continuous improvement of systems and procedures while supporting operational teams.
This role will serve as the primary in‑country technical contact for HSE and Retailers.
Key Responsibilities
Food Safety & Compliance
Conduct internal food safety inspections across all Irish sites, ensuring full compliance with company SOPs, HACCP plans, and local legislation.
Identify non-conformances, develop corrective action plans, and verify completion to drive consistent improvement.
Maintain audit readiness at all times, supporting external audits and regulatory inspections.
Lead the implementation and maintenance of food safety management systems (HACCP, allergen management, cleaning verification, traceability).
Support and train site teams in all aspects of food safety and hygiene, ensuring competence and confidence at every level.
Be the main point of contact for HSE Ireland and coordinate with Franchise Partners to resolve queries and questions.
Training & Operational Support
Deliver food safety and hygiene training for new openings and existing teams.
Provide ongoing coaching to managers and food handlers to reinforce food safety culture.
Collaborate with Operations and Training to ensure training compliance and record‑keeping.
Technical & Quality Projects
Have a clear understand of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland food safety laws and regulations.
Support and coordinate technical projects, including system updates, procedural improvements, and process validations.
Monitor and report technical KPIs, trends, and site performance, recommending areas for improvement.
Oversee supplier approval, non‑conformance, supplier audits, surveillance testing, concessionaire compliance, and product labelling.
Work collaboratively with the Food Safety teams to align processes, share best practice, and support group-wide initiatives.
Continuous Improvement & Culture
Champion a strong food safety and quality culture across Irish sites.
Contribute to the ongoing development and simplification of SOPs and technical systems to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Act as the key point of contact for Irish regulatory and environmental health authorities where required.
Ensure alignment with both EU and local Irish food legislation.\
We're proud to offer:
This role will be field based covering Norther N and Souther N Ireland Kiosks
Opportunity to grow your career alongside with us with available apprentice program
Brilliant support services designed to enhance your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
Annual discretionary bonus subject to business and overall performance
Discretionary Life Assurance
Discretionary Income Protection
Private Medical Cash Plan
Bespoke reward platform including access to retail, cinema & gym discounts.
50% off your food every time you dine with us for you and 3 friends.
Contribute towards our award-winning sustainability initiatives that delivers progress against 9 UN sustainability goals.
We're committed to responsibly sourcing and all our seafood, therefore we only use source sustainable fish.
All our packaging is recyclable and 80% of our packaging is already made from recycled plastic.
Annual Awards ceremony celebrating our success and offering winning Managers free trips to Japan.
About us:
Come roll with us and be part of something big.
Celebrate global success across:
Over 1500 retail kiosks globally (YO, Panku, Mai Taiko Snowfox & Bento)
Our Taiko manufacturing and distribution centre
63 YO restaurants
3700 locations globally From Hawaii to Aberdeen
Our Values
Own it, Care About it, Make it Exceptional, Win Together
Ready to Roll?
Come roll with us and play a key role by bringing people together to celebrate better food for everyone the Japanese way…
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