Our Current Vacancies

Quality Assurance Manager

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Quality Assurance Manager who is hands-on and is a factory-based Quality Assurance professional with an appetite for working in a growing vibrant business.

As Quality Assurance Manager you will be responsible for the quality, safety, legality, and the quality of the product range from a factory perspective, as well as managing compliance against sections of the Quality Management System pertaining to the factory operations.

Reporting to the Senior Technical Manager your key responsibilities will include: –

  • To carry out customer complaint investigations, determining the root cause, corrective actions and preventive measures and responding to the customer (where required) in a timely manner.
  • To ensure that factory and site audits are completed to schedule, including those relating to: GMP, product quality, hygiene, fabrication, glass & hard plastic, CCP, allergens, etc.
  • To ensure that out of specification test results are investigated, with corrective actions implemented to remedy and prevent recurrence.
  • To identify, record, communicate, investigate and assist with the correction of non-conformances. Appropriate implementation of preventive measures is of paramount importance.
  • Assumes overall responsibility for the HACCP plan, monitoring compliance with critical control limits, pre-requisite programmes and validation.
  • Manage the contracted Pest Control Provider (PCP) contract in terms of the visit schedule and actions arising from visits.
  • Actively strive to simplify quality systems where possible, to enhance data capture accuracy.
  • Through audit and coaching, ensure that factory related QMS policies and procedures are implemented and always followed.
  • Assist with the maintenance of physical traceability in the warehouse and factory environments, testing the recall/mass balance procedures to ensure their continued effective operation, efficiency, and practicality.
  • Responsible for the Quality Assurance function within the business, managing its team members accordingly.
  • Ensure that raw material (ingredients and packaging) assessments are conducted to schedule.
  • Responsible for ensuring that analytical equipment is available for all product and environmental tests, including managing repairs and replacements when required.
  • Provides direct management to subordinates (Quality Assurance Assistant).
  • Provides deputising cover for the Technical Manager.

The ideal candidate will have the following qualities and experience: –

  • Experience from a similar role within food manufacturing.
  • Possess strong administrative skills along with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Confident with Microsoft Office, in particular Word and Excel.
  • Able to work in a busy and often fast paced environment, often required to move between and priorities tasks with ease.
  • Possess good communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Is a team player and displays an enthusiastic and can-do attitude.

Remuneration Package

  • Salary dependent on experience
  • Company contribution pension.
  • 22 days holiday plus bank holidays.
  • Birthday off as an additional day’s holiday.
  • Life Insurance.

If you have previous experience in a similar role within food manufacturing and are looking for a challenging opportunity within a growing company, we want to hear from you.  Apply now by sending your CV and covering letter to [email protected].

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Warehouse Manager

We are looking to recruit a dedicated and experienced Warehouse Manager to lead our warehouse operations and ensure the efficient handling of our goods and inventory across both of our sites.

Reporting to the Operations Director your key responsibilities will include: –

  • Manage, motivate, and develop the team of warehouse staff, including supervisors, pickers, packers, and forklift operators.
  • Plan and coordinate daily warehouse activities, ensuring efficient receipt, storage, and dispatch of goods.
  • Implement and maintain effective inventory management processes to minimise stockouts, overstock situations and wastage.
  • Monitor and optimise warehouse layout and storage systems to maximize space utilisation and accessibility.
  • Collaborate with procurement, transportation, and customer service to ensure seamless operations and timely order fulfilment.
  • Utilise warehouse management software and systems to track inventory, manage orders and analyse key performance indicators.
  • Identify areas for process improvement and implement best practices to enhance warehouse efficiency.

Required Qualifications and Experience: –

  • Proven experience in Warehouse Management or a related field.
  • Strong leadership and team management skills.
  • Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities.
  • Familiarity with inventory management principles and systems.
  • Proficiency in using Warehouse Management software and tools.
  • Knowledge of health and safety regulations.
  • Adaptability to changing environments and priorities.
  • Forklift certification (preferred but not mandatory)
  • Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Problem-solving and analytical mindset.

Remuneration Package

  • £40K circa per annum dependent on experience.
  • Company contributory pension
  • 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
  • Birthday off as an additional day’s holiday.
  • Life Insurance

If you are an experienced Warehouse Manager looking for a challenging opportunity with a growing company, we want to hear from you. Apply now by sending your CV and a covering letter to [email protected].

Previous applicants need not apply.

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Production Operative - with progressive opportunities

As an ambitious team of individuals, we take pride in what we do and are firm believers in Taste, Quality and Responsibility.  We have some exciting opportunities for PRODUCTION OPERATIVES to join the team to support our continued growth.

General Description of Duties and Responsibilities:-

  • Assist in the manufacture of Stokes Sauces products to the correct formulisation and specification, whilst adhering to the companies’ policies and procedures.
  • Assist to operate the production line machinery; the machinery includes, the cooking line, cold filling line, capping machine, sachet line, bucket line and/or the labelling line.
  • Assist in setting up the production line machinery for production recipes.
  • Carry out pre-checks and cleaning tasks on the production line.
  • Manual handling includes weighing and loading of raw materials into vessels and stacking finished goods onto pallets.
  • Conduct quality control checks and complete paperwork records.
  • Assist in size changeovers.
  • Operate a clean as you go approach.

Required Experience & behaviours:-

  • Excellent attention to detail, timekeeping and reliability are essential.
  • A good team player with a ‘can do attitude’ are essential.
  • Literate and numerate to a standard which allows for accurate record keeping.

Hours, Pay & Benefits:-

  • Working hours 37.5 hours per week on a rotating shift pattern of 5.45am – 2.00pm and 2.00pm – 10.000pm.
  • Starting hourly rate of pay is £10.42 per hour.
  • Annual leave is 22 days plus Bank Holidays and an extra day’s holiday for your Birthday, contributory Company Pension, Life Insurance and staff discount.

 

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Picker Packer

BASED AT BENTWATERS, RENDLESHAM SUFFOLK

Stokes Sauces, established in 2004 produce a unique range of classic sauces from the Old Stables in Rendlesham, in rural Suffolk, always aiming to be the best in class for quality and most importantly taste.

We are looking to recruit a Picker Packer to support the team in our Finished Goods Warehouse.

 Duties and Responsibilities: –

  • Pick and pack orders correctly, recording Julienne Codes on the pick sheets.
  • Label products as required.
  • Enter customers’ details onto computer, print and affix address labels.
  • Complete all quality paperwork.
  • Maintain a clean and tidy work environment, adopting a ‘clean as you go’ policy.

Required Experience & Behaviours

  • Good level of IT skills
  • Accuracy and Attention to Details
  • Team Player
  • Previous picking and packing beneficial.

 Hours, Pay and Benefits

  • Working hours are 8.30am – 4:45pm Monday – Friday, starting rate of pay is £10.42 per hour, 22 days holiday plus bank holidays, an additional day’s holiday for your birthday, life insurance and contributory pension.

If you would like to join a growing business with progressive opportunities, please apply by emailing your CV and a Covering Letter to Vicky McTaggart – [email protected].

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Join the team at Stokes!

 

About Us

Since 2004, we have worked with a rare passion, to refine the taste, texture, and quality of ketchups, sauces, condiments, preserves, and mayonnaise. We make all our of sauces at our ‘saucery’ on the Rendlesham Estate the heart of rural Suffolk. We now have a team of over 70, and In fact, some of us have been making sauce together for almost 20 years! There really has never been a more exciting team to join the ambitious Stokes team, with brand new factory equipment, enabling is to double our capacity, exciting new upcoming product launches and we are actively working in more sectors than ever before!

About You

As a growing family-owned business with big ideas, we are looking for determined characters with a real ‘can do’ attitude. Whilst being passionate and enthusiastic about the work you do, a lot of the work we do involves working together with multiple teams and so you will also be friendly, an excellent communicator, and show integrity in the work you do.

CAREERS

How to apply

When job vacancies become available, we will post them on this page with a link to our recruitment system where you’ll receive further information on how to apply.

Good Luck