Internal Compliance Officer (Maternity Cover)

The Internal Compliance Officer plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the site’s Quality Management System (QMS) and ensuring continuous audit readiness. Working closely with the Site Governance Manager, Quality function, and cross‑functional teams, the role ensures that regulatory, customer, and Danone Specialised Nutrition standards are consistently upheld. The mission is to proactively strengthen site compliance, embed a culture of quality excellence, and support the delivery of products of consistent, specified quality and uncompromising safety. Success in this role means delivering a resilient and well‑governed QMS, ensuring effective internal controls, driving continuous improvement, and enabling the organisation to anticipate and respond to risks with confidence. The Internal Compliance Officer will: Strengthen and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) Develop, review, and sustain QMS processes to ensure regulatory compliance, operational effectiveness, and consistent audit readiness. Lead and develop key compliance systems Own the implementation, development, and ongoing management of the site’s: Food Defence System Food Fraud Prevention Programme Internal Audit Framework PRP verification Change Management deputisation and coordination iCare coordination to embed and reinforce a strong quality culture Drive proactive compliance and continuous improvement Champion a “Right First Time” mindset across the organisation, using lean principles and structured problem‑solving to improve quality performance, reduce failure costs, and enhance operational reliability. Lead and support change management in compliance activities Coordinate, assess and deputise in change management Oversee PRP (Prerequisite Programme) verification & compliance assurance Conduct routine verification, review, and documentation of PRPs to ensure foundational food safety controls remain robust, effective, and in line with legislation and standards. Build capability through training & communication Develop, deliver, and evaluate compliance‑related training to strengthen competency across the site, ensuring all employees understand their role in safeguarding product quality and safety. Promote safe and responsible behaviour Ensure all activities under your remit adhere to Fire Evacuation procedures, Accident Reporting requirements, and Food Safety/Quality protocols. Act as a point of guidance to foster safe working practices and positive behavioural standards. What Success Looks Like A compliant, well‑maintained, and continuously improving QMS. An engaged site with a strong quality culture and high levels of ownership. Effective internal audits that identify risk proactively rather than reactively. Smooth, confident performance during regulatory, customer, and corporate audits. Clear, timely training programmes that enhance site awareness and capability. Robust PRP verification ensuring foundational food safety standards never drift. A stable food defence that is understood, tested, and operationally ready. Demonstrated cross‑functional collaboration with visible improvements in “Right First Time” performance. Key accountabilities, deliverables & KPIs, impact on business results Food Defence Leadership & Coordination Oversee full implementation of Food Defence Procedures, ensuring compliance with corporate directives and audit expectations. Establish and lead a multidisciplinary Food Defence team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, aligned to the Food Defence procedure and central requirements. Act as the primary Food Defence Coordinator for the site, ensuring adherence to security, threat‑mitigation measures, and regular inspections in partnership with Facilities and Security teams. Up‑to‑date Food Defence Plan, risk assessments, access‑control measures, and inspection records. Annual Food Defence Review and ongoing gap‑analysis reports Completion of annual Food Defence training and