Job Description

• Quality Auditor (Late Shift)
Vitacress Herbs | Runcton
• Location: Runcton, Chichester
• Department: Technical
⏰ Contract: Full-Time, Permanent (42 hours per week)
• Salary: £31,820.88 per annum
• Reporting to: Quality & Team Coordinator

Are you passionate about food quality, safety, and driving high standards?
Vitacress Herbs is looking for a dedicated Quality Auditor to join our Technical team at our Runcton site. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with quality assurance experience in fresh produce, food manufacturing, or a similar environment who enjoys working in a fast-paced operation and making a real impact on product quality and food safety.
As a Quality Auditor, you'll play a key role in ensuring our products consistently meet customer expectations, legal requirements, and industry-leading standards.

• Shift Pattern
Permanent Shift
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
• 4:00pm – 2:30am
• 4 days on / 3 days off
• 42 hours per week
Training Period (up to 3 months)
Training must be completed on day shift:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
• Approximately 6:15am – 5:30pm
This will ensure you gain a full understanding of our processes, quality systems, and operational standards before transitioning to the permanent late shift.

What You'll Be Doing
You will be responsible for maintaining and improving quality standards across the business through auditing, monitoring, testing, and investigation activities.
Key responsibilities include:
✅ Conducting audits including:
• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)
• Hygiene audits
• Glass & Hard Plastics inspections
• Traceability exercises
• Documentation compliance checks
✅ Monitoring product quality throughout production
✅ Investigating non-conformances and supporting root cause analysis
✅ Sampling and testing products against customer specifications and Quality Attribute Sheets
✅ Placing products on hold where standards are not met and supporting corrective actions
✅ Collecting micro samples, water samples, and environmental swabs
✅ Calibrating scales, probes, and measuring equipment
✅ Supporting customer complaint investigations
✅ Monitoring production lines to ensure food safety, quality, and legality
✅ Maintaining label and weighing system compliance
✅ Working closely with Production, Procurement, Supply Chain, Growing Teams, and Technical colleagues to drive continuous improvement
✅ Supporting internal, customer, and third-party audits to ensure the site remains "audit ready"

What We're Looking For
Essential Experience & Skills
✔ At least 1 year's Quality Assurance experience within fresh produce, food manufacturing, or a similar environment
✔ Working knowledge of HACCP principles
✔ Strong attention to detail
✔ Good communication and organisational skills
✔ Computer literate with Microsoft Office
✔ Numerate with strong record-keeping skills
✔ Ability to understand and work to customer specifications
✔ Able to work independently and as part of a team
✔ Calm and logical approach under pressure

Desirable Qualifications & Knowledge
➕ Food Hygiene Level 2
➕ HACCP Level 2
➕ Internal Auditor qualification
➕ IFS knowledge
➕ Greenlight QC experience

The Ideal Candidate Will Be
• Detail-oriented and quality focused
• Confident making decisions and challenging standards where required
• Positive and proactive in their approach to Health & Safety
• Comfortable working to deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• A strong communicator who can build relationships across departments
• Passionate about continuous improvement and maintaining excellent standards

Working Environment
• Factory and office-based role
• Regular work within chilled production areas (PPE provided)
• Fast-paced food manufacturing environment
• Opportunity to work cross-functionally with teams throughout the business

Why Join Vitacress?
At Vitacress, quality is at the heart of everything we do. You'll be joining a passionate team committed to delivering fresh, high-quality products to our customers while continuously improving the way we work.
If you're ready to take the next step in your Quality career and thrive in a business where your expertise makes a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help us keep quality growing. •

Vitacress Herbs, based just outside historic Chichester, West Sussex, is a primary supplier of Herb and horticulture products in the UK. With our 23-acre site covered in specialist glass houses, we take immense pride in our work ensuring our consumers have a fresh, quality product to enhance their home cooking or enhance their garden environment. We take pleasure in ensuring the best possible standards and we will empower you to do the same. From the way we grow our products, to the relationships we maintain with customers, everyone knows exactly what is going on. We are authentic and grounded. At the centre of everything is a trust that you can feel every day at work. From the herbs that are grown on site; to the investment in facilities and the growth of the business; to growing and nurturing out talented employees, growing is truly at the heart of what we do. Join us and become a trusted partner in our business.