19 jobs in Protea Recruitment Ltd | Food | Drinks | FMCG Recruitment Partner

Protea Recruitment Ltd is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Manager to join a leading food manufacturing business in Innerleithen, Scotland. This role offers a fantastic opportunity for a hands-on operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and aims to develop high-performing teams while driving continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will lead production operations, ensuring targets are met safely and efficiently while complying with quality standards. Responsibilities include coaching production teams, managing KPIs, and supporting new product launches.

Sales Manager – Fresh Seafood

Location: Aberdeen (Site Based)

We are partnering with a leading business within the seafood sector that is seeking an experienced Sales Executive to join its commercial team based in Aberdeen.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated sales professional with a background in fresh seafood sales who understands the demands of a fast-moving market and is passionate about building long-term customer relationships across the UK.

Based on-site in Aberdeen, you will be responsible for managing and developing customer relationships throughout the UK. Working closely with internal teams, you will drive sales growth by identifying opportunities, securing new business, and maximising existing accounts.

Operating in a market where product availability and pricing can change daily, you will provide customers with market insight, product knowledge, and exceptional service to ensure a consistently high level of customer satisfaction.

• Develop and maintain relationships with wholesale, foodservice, catering, and hospitality customers across the UK.
• Manage and grow existing customer accounts while identifying new business opportunities.
• Conduct outbound sales activity to generate revenue and expand market share.
• Negotiate pricing and commercial agreements.
• Advise customers on product availability, market conditions, and product alternatives.
• Work closely with procurement, operations, and logistics teams to deliver outstanding customer service.
• Achieve and exceed sales and revenue targets.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and sales forecasts.

Essential Requirements

• Previous sales experience within the fresh seafood industry.
• Experience selling into wholesale, foodservice, catering, hospitality, or distribution markets.
• Strong understanding of the fresh seafood supply chain and the challenges of a perishable product environment.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain customer relationships.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and account management skills.
• Commercially minded with a results-driven approach.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment where pricing and availability change regularly.

• Existing network of contacts within the UK seafood, wholesale, or foodservice sectors.
• Experience managing UK-wide customer accounts.

• Competitive salary DOE
• Opportunity to work with a respected business within the seafood sector.
• UK-wide customer exposure and responsibility.
• Long-term career development opportunities.

If you have a successful track record in fresh seafood sales and are looking for a role with national responsibility, we'd be keen to hear from you.

Protea Recruitment Ltd seeks a Sales Manager to spearhead its seafood sector expansion based in Aberdeen. This role involves managing customer relationships and driving sales growth across the UK.

The ideal candidate will possess a track record in fresh seafood sales, strong communication skills, and a comprehensive understanding of the seafood supply chain. Competitive salary and career development opportunities are offered.

Protea Recruitment Ltd is looking for a Production Manager in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The Production Manager role is crucial for overseeing daily operations in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

You will manage team leaders and operators to ensure production targets, safety standards, and quality expectations are consistently met. Ideal candidates will have a background in FMCG, strong leadership skills, and a dedication to food safety and quality.

Job Title: Quality Assurance Technologist Location: Killinchy, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Reporting To: Technical Manager / QA Supervisor Shift Pattern: Monday–Sunday, 5 days per week (rota-based) Role Purpose

The Quality Assurance Technologist will play a key role in maintaining high food safety and quality standards across daily manufacturing operations. Working closely with production and management teams, you will ensure products are prepared, processed, and packed in line with internal standards, customer requirements, and food safety legislation.

This is a hands‑on, site‑based role suited to someone with a strong eye for detail and experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment.

• Work closely with Production Supervisors and teams to ensure all food preparation, portioning, and packing activities meet agreed quality and food safety standards.
• Promote a strong food safety and quality culture across all areas of production.
• Support the implementation and ongoing maintenance of quality and food safety management systems.
• Lead and support corrective and preventative actions (CAPAs), including root cause investigations where non-conformances are identified.
• Carry out routine testing and inspection of raw materials and finished products to ensure compliance with specifications.
• Ensure all quality and production documentation is completed accurately and maintained in line with regulatory and internal requirements.
• Conduct routine calibration and verification of monitoring equipment, including temperature probes and weighing equipment.
• Supervise and verify hygiene and sanitation activities, including ATP testing and environmental swabbing.
• Complete internal audits covering GMP, hygiene, glass and hard plastic control, and other QMS requirements.
• Monitor product weights, temperatures, and gas levels to ensure compliance with specifications and legal standards.
• Ensure adherence to procedures relating to personal hygiene, allergen control, foreign body prevention, labelling, and traceability.
• Support customer and third‑party audits, providing documentation and operational support as required.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties in support of departmental and business objectives.
• Make timely and effective decisions appropriate to the role.
• Use available data and information to identify issues, elevate where required, and support practical solutions.
• Actively contribute ideas to improve quality, food safety, and operational standards.
• Support and implement continuous improvement initiatives within the Quality function.
• Take responsibility for identifying personal training and development needs.
• Engage with performance reviews and development planning processes.

• Minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and Maths
• Experience working in a regulated manufacturing or production environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail, particularly relating to food safety and hygiene
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Strong problem‑solving skills
• Previous experience working within a Quality Assurance role
• Experience maintaining and reporting within a Quality Management System (QMS)
• Degree or HND in a relevant subject
• Food manufacturing or FMCG experience
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a QA or technical role

Protea Recruitment Ltd is seeking a candidate to join their global innovation team focused on cocoa technologies and sustainable solutions. This role requires a strong technical understanding of cocoa and chocolate, along with experience in FMCG environments.

The successful candidate will lead projects that optimise cocoa blends, collaborate with various teams, and drive innovation in product development. Join us to contribute to a future-driven approach in confectionery and baked product segments.

Up to £50,000 + Bonus + Company Benefits

A well‑established industrial equipment distributor is looking for an Area Sales Manager to take ownership of the West Midlands territory.

The business is a recognised supplier of welding equipment, consumables and engineering supplies, supporting manufacturing, fabrication, engineering and industrial customers across the region. The company works with major global brands and provides product supply, equipment servicing, hire and technical support to its customer base.

This role will focus on developing existing accounts while identifying new business opportunities across the region.

• Manage and grow a West Midlands sales territory
• Develop relationships with manufacturing, fabrication and engineering customers
• Identify new business opportunities and drive revenue growth
• Promote a range of welding equipment, consumables and industrial products
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure strong customer service and delivery

• Experience in B2B sales within industrial, engineering, or technical products
• Background selling welding equipment, tooling, engineering consumables or machinery is advantageous
• Strong relationship‑building and account management skills
• Proven ability to win new business and grow territory revenue
• Full UK driving licence

• Salary up to £50,000
• Manage an established West Midlands customer base
• Work with a recognised supplier of industrial equipment and welding solutions
• Opportunity to grow and develop within a specialist engineering sector

This is a unique opportunity to join a business investing heavily in breakthrough innovation, sustainability and future‑focused product development across confectionery and baked categories.

The successful candidate will play a key role in building technical expertise around cocoa materials and chocolate technologies, translating scientific understanding into commercially scalable products and innovative solutions.

This is not a traditional NPD role. The position sits within a global innovation team focused on long‑term technology platforms, ingredient innovation and sustainable cocoa solutions.

• Lead the development and optimisation of cocoa blends and chocolate systems across confectionery and baked applications
• Build and share technical expertise around cocoa processing methods, materials science and emerging technologies
• Support breakthrough innovation projects focused on sustainability, functionality and product performance
• Lead bench development, pilot plant trials and factory scale‑up activities
• Provide technical solutions to product and processing challenges
• Collaborate closely with procurement, sensory, supply chain, quality and commercial teams
• Work with external suppliers and technology partners to identify new opportunities and best practices
• Support the development of proprietary technologies and patentable innovation opportunities
• Manage technical project plans and support delivery of long‑term innovation roadmaps

We are keen to speak with candidates who have experience within chocolate, confectionery, cocoa ingredients or related food technology environments.

• Strong technical understanding of cocoa and chocolate technologies
• Experience working within confectionery, chocolate or ingredient‑led FMCG environments
• Knowledge of chocolate processing, formulation and scale‑up
• Hands‑on pilot plant and factory trial experience
• Strong problem‑solving and technical troubleshooting capability
• Experience working cross‑functionally within fast‑paced innovation environments
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Passion for innovation, sustainability and emerging food technologies