Our Client, a leading High street Retailer, has an opening for a Childrenswear Technologist for a 9-12 month Fixed Term Contract . Anticipated start date March 2020
Role Responsibilities include:
• Deliver the product innovation strategy driving commercial customer focussed benefit and in line with Design and Innovation Brief priorities
• Keep abreast of the latest technology trends in materials, fabric, fibre construction techniques etc. and feed these into the product development process
• Manage adherence to product safety, compliance and ethical standards in line with legislation and corporate policy
• Deliver clear specifications on Design Tech packs to include fit, fabric quality, made well standards, construction & components
• Approve fits and contract seals (where relevant) ensuring construction and consistency is achieved in line with standards
• Working with the Fit Development Studio and design to ensure that relevant blocks and patterns are in place
• Carry out ongoing cost engineering at development stage to ensure all products are optimised commercially whilst still meeting Client’s quality, fit and aesthetic standards
• Manage fabric / raw material approval requirements and ensure quality and innovation is embedded into the fabric / raw material strategy
• Accountability for signing off the Bill of Materials (BOM) and ensuring that all relevant product technical documentation (legal, testing, safety) is present on system at contract seal
• Manage the delivery of the Client’s sustainability business plan requirements into the department alongside buying team colleagues and the Sourcing offices
• Benchmark Client’s product against high street competitors ensuring a market leading position and feeding into our Product development strategy
• Monitor the voice of our customer around Quality and Fit and build into ongoing product development strategy
• Maintain integrity of product data within the department on systems, working with sourcing offices to ensure suppliers are compliant in providing complete and accurate information as required to enable reporting
• In the event of Quality failure in the UK manage and co-ordinate with UK Offices, Supply Base and Sourcing Office colleagues to resolve
• Manage knowledge to share and product / fit training of store colleagues to enable more informed selling and service
Candidate Requirements:
• The ideal candidate will have sock and hosiery expertise as well as Childrenswear multi product clothing
• Expert in the field of technology including manufacturing of fabric / raw materials
• Excellent communication skills within Technical Function, Design and Buying, Supply Base and Global Sourcing Offices
• Able to manage Blue Sky thinking for newness and project delivery of innovation
• Multi tasked orientated working to tight deadlines while maintaining entrepreneurialism
• Capable of interpreting customer data to shape future product development strategy
• Experience of briefing and specifying direct design sourced product, working with Buying and Design teams to create Tech Packs
• Ability to manage departmental data and leverage the Client’s systems to enable strategic reporting
• Ability to work across multiple sourcing models