Product Technologist - Furniture

Job description

·  Salary
Competitive plus excellent benefits
·  Role area
Quality Assurance
·  Contract type
Permanent
·  Job reference
HRGMO499859
·  Location
Milton Keynes
MK9 2NW
· 
Technical and Ethical are the people who make sure that Sainsbury's, Argos and Habitat's products are functional and safe for our customers, the people that act as our conscience when we're out looking for all the amazing things that you can buy in our stores. They make sure that our products are the best they can be as well as being fair to the people that produce them and have the least negative impact on our environment.

Product Technology is about ensuring the quality and safety of our products. They are the people who walk into a store and think ‘I could have made that better ‘or ‘I would have done that differently'. We look at how product is sourced from factories and made available for our customers and are always looking for way to make it better.

As a Product Technologist with responsibility for your own product area, you'll be working as part of a team including buyers, designers and merchandisers and you'll be involved in the product and technical development of furniture. You'll work directly with manufacturers in the UK, Europe and the Far East to create best in class products for one of the biggest non-food retailers in the UK.

To succeed in this role, you'll have experience in dealing with product, so you might have a background in retail or manufacturing industries or in working at a laboratory. You'll need to be comfortable with travel, and you'll be dealing with a lot of stakeholder including manufacturers and our trading teams, so great communication will be key.

More about the role:

Work as part of the trading team to develop Sainsbury's Argos own brand products and become the Technical subject matter expert within the business
Conduct assessment of products as part of the product development & risk assessment process to ensure all products are safe, legal and fit for purpose
Analyse customer complaint and returns data, taking appropriate actions where necessary
Continually develop product specifications
Launch products on time by taking ownership of the Technical elements of the critical path
Support the commercial development of our supply chain to ensure that they meet the Sainsbury's Argos brand standards and requirements
Support the buyer by understanding the market, competitor products and their specifications
Global travel to work with our suppliers in developing and approving product
Prioritise workloads to meet business and function deadlines

More about you:

Degree or relevant furniture/fabrics experience
Strong attention to detail and an ability to multi-task
Structured, methodical way of working focused on recording and follow-up
Strong communication skills and an ability to discuss solutions in a pragmatic way
Confidence to influence and engage, building relationships with key stakeholders

We know that candidates may be put off applying for a job unless they can tick every box. While we can't always accommodate every flexible working request, we do support part-time and job share roles so are happy to be asked how we can work around your availability. So if you are excited about working with us and think you can do much of what we are looking for but aren't sure if you are 100% there yet… why not apply and see how it goes?

Here at Sainsbury's Argos we're a proud equal opportunities employer that values diversity at every level of our business. Inclusion and Diversity are fundamental to our culture and values, fostering an innovative, collaborative and fast paced work environment that means we can build a better future for our colleagues and our customers. Everyone is welcome at Sainsbury's Argos. Want to find out more? Then visit our Diversity & Inclusion page on our Careers site – www.argos.careers/diversityandinclusion