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 defense. If you love driving real improvements with clarity, data and strong collaboration, this is your stage.
What You'll Achieve
1. 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.
2. Lead Audits with Impact: You will conduct regular audits to an agreed schedule and ensure findings translate into measurable, sustainable improvements.
3. Own Non-Conformities & Concessions: You will manage non-conformances, deviations and concessions end-to-end driving clear decisions, fast containment and lasting corrective actions.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. Enable Great Launches: You will participate in food and packaging development projects and liaise with internal teams to support global and local launches.
8. 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.
9. 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
10. You hold a bachelor’s degree in a science-related discipline and/or bring at least 3 years’ experience in a regulated industry.
11. You have strong knowledge of food regulations, GFSI standards and risk management (HACCP, TACCP, VACCP).
12. Structured, Analytical Problem-Solver
13. You combine strong project management and communication skills with a hands-on, solution-oriented mindset.
14. You’re confident translating data and issues into root causes, clear decisions and actions that stick.
Partner-First Collaborator
15. 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
16. You’re comfortable handling critical incidents and executing contingency plans through defined response protocols.
17. You are willing to travel internationally up to 25%.
Our Culture: How We Grow Together
18. Create wow: We dare to do things differently, seek to always win with consumers and customers, and endeavor to be forever relevant and vital to our world. It’s about Curiosity, Innovation and Consumer/Customer Focus.
19. Everyone Hero: We work together in pursuit of our common mission and strategy, strengthening our local businesses by leveraging the power of the collective. It’s about Purpose, Performance and Teamwork.
20. Nourish others: We treat everyone with honesty, care and respect and provide our people, customers and consumers with what they need to thrive. It’s about Honesty, Empowerment, Respect and Diversity.
21. Take responsibility: We make good choices today to build a more sustainable business and environment fit for the needs of tomorrow. It’s about Sustainability, Ownership, Heritage and Quality.
Sound like you? Apply Now
Important: We only accept applications sent to the designated channels. Please be aware of job offer scrapers; we will not accept applications from other third parties.