Third Party Quality Manager

TPM Quality Manager – Third Party Manufacturing (TPM) Schwartau / (Hybrid) - 18 months fixed-contract

Are you ready to own quality beyond our own factories?

Group Quality is the engine that safeguards Hero’s food safety, compliance and consumer trust. We are looking for a TPM Quality Manager to take end‑to‑end ownership of quality across our Third Party Manufacturers (TPMs) within the EU portfolio. You will be the crucial link between external manufacturing partners and internal stakeholders – ensuring every externally manufactured product is authentic, safe, legal, and produced to Hero quality standards, backed by robust quality systems and documentation that strengthen our due diligence defence. If you love driving real improvements with clarity, data and strong collaboration, this is your stage.

What You’ll Achieve

• Build a High‑Performing TPM Network: You will approve, monitor and manage TPMs to Hero standards, helping align ways of working and enabling smooth onboarding of new partners.
• Lead Audits with Impact: You will conduct regular audits to an agreed schedule and ensure findings translate into measurable, sustainable improvements.
• Own Non‑Conformities & Concessions: You will manage non‑conformances, deviations and concessions end‑to‑end driving clear decisions, fast containment and lasting corrective actions.
• Turn Complaints into Consumer Trust: You will investigate customer and consumer complaints for TPM products and evaluate corrective actions together with the TPM to ensure effectiveness.
• Make Due Diligence Real: You will implement and maintain quality systems with subcontractors and review/approve validation protocols and supplier quality documentation to keep our compliance airtight.
• Drive Risk Management & Food Safety: You will assess raw material and finished product risks and establish risk assessments for TPM‑managed portfolios (HACCP, TACCP, VACCP).
• Enable Great Launches: You will participate in food and packaging development projects and liaise with internal teams to support global and local launches.
• Deliver “Crystal‑Clear” Specifications & Releases: You will maintain the quality aspects of finished product specifications, manage the product release process, and approve/interpret Certificates of Analysis (CoA) where applicable.
• Be Ready When It Matters Most: You will maintain KPI reporting, run traceability exercises, execute mock recalls/crisis simulations (risk‑based), and support incident/crisis escalation with calm structure and ownership.

Who You Are

• Quality & Food Safety Professional
  • You hold a bachelor’s degree in a science‑related discipline and/or bring at least 3 years’ experience in a regulated industry.
  • You have strong knowledge of food regulations, GFSI standards and risk management (HACCP, TACCP, VACCP).
  • Structured, Analytical Problem‑Solver
  • You combine strong project management and communication skills with a hands‑on, solution‑oriented mindset.
  • You’re confident translating data and issues into root causes, clear decisions and actions that stick.
• Partner‑First Collaborator
  • You work effectively in a matrix with internal teams (Quality, R&D, Procurement/Supply Chain, Projects/Marketing) and external partners (TPMs, certification bodies, laboratories).
• Crisis‑Ready & Globally Mobile
  • You’re comfortable handling critical incidents and executing contingency plans through defined response protocols.
  • You are willing to travel internationally up to 25%.