Herbal Quality Assurance Team Leader job in Bristol

Are you an inspiring manager working within a commercial herbal, food or drink laboratory quality assurance team and are looking for a new challenge? Do you aspire to work for a purposeful, sustainable and fast growing organic brand?

We are looking for a Herbal Quality Assurance Team Leader to champion herbal quality across our teas, and lead our passionate and knowledgeable team at Pukka Herbs. Based in our Bristol office the role comes with a competitive salary alongside a benefits package designed to nurture your wellbeing and personal development.

About Pukka Herbs

Pukka Herbs create delicious organic herbal teas and incredible health supplements that take people on a journey of discovery to a healthier, happier life, benefiting people, plants and the planet. Pukka Herbs began 15 years ago and is the fastest growing herbal tea company and the 6th fastest growing grocery brand in the UK. Over a million cups of Pukka tea are drunk every day and Pukka’s teas and supplements are sold in over 40 countries across the globe.

About the role

Our Quality team play a vital role in Pukka – it’s their job to ensure that all our raw materials are top notch and meet our exceptional quality standards before they go to our UK based manufacturers. We then check the finished product, whether that’s one of our delicious teas, fantastic wellbeing or food products, so that we send only the best to our customers. As you can imagine, that means we’ve got rigorous testing and tasting processes so we maintain our reputation for high quality products and with our massively growing sales portfolio.

As Herbal Quality Assurance Team Leader you’ll be the Pukka champion of herbal quality by developing our testing approach, team and facilities to be widely recognised as a centre for herbal excellence. You’ll lead and develop the herbal quality team and oversee Pukka’s laboratory and work with our network of laboratory partners. We will be setting up a new lab next Spring, so you’ll have the opportunity to review and create new processes, evolve what we do and take our herbal quality assurance testing to the next level.

You’ll turn our herbal concepts into reality by engaging with key stakeholders to establish quality standards for herbs, coordinate the resolution of technical challenges in raw material supply and blending, and optimise the testing approach to get the best value on testing. You’ll produce technical documentation such as SOPs, specifications, MSDS, COSHH assessments related to herbal quality activities. You’ll also visit our packing and processing partner suppliers to support product development or improvements.

About you

You’ll have extensive commercial experience across numerous roles in a quality lab assurance environment within herbal, food or drink sectors and have worked at a managerial level. You’ll be an experienced leader of teams , a proven motivator and builder of teams and skilled at developing individuals gained from experience in the FMCG or herbal industry.

You’ll be degree level educated or an equivalent level, in a scientific subject, preferably plant sciences. Ideally you’ll have practical experience in a range of botanical, pharmacognostical and phytochemical techniques, including HPTLC, HPLC, GC-MS and microscopy, and have a keen desire to work in a hands-on lead quality assurance role.

Quick-thinking, analytical and insightful you will have an inquisitive, commercial and creative mind and able to identify, produce and process solutions. You’ll enjoy working with the detail and can flex to work with the bigger picture when problem solving. Strong written and verbal communication skills are needed alongside enthusiasm, positivity and the desire to aim high and deliver excellence. You’ll have experience of managing stakeholders and their demands.

You’ll have a flexible approach to work and change, as well as resilience to deal with multiple projects in a busy office environment. You’ll be able to change gears quickly as events demand, have a strong ability to prioritise effectively and be organised and meticulous. A passion for Pukka and what Pukka stands for is essential.

To apply

If you’re intrigued and excited by what you’ve read so far, let’s see if you have what it takes to thrive at Pukka. To apply for this role please attach your CV and answers to the four questions below

Who are you?
How do you relate to others?
Heart or head?
Describe your energy