Product Technologist, Knitwear

Product Technologist - Knitwear

Purpose of role:
To ensure product developed and supplied to Primark complies with our quality standards and looks to exceed customer expectation. To work alongside our product operations teams, suppliers and key stakeholders to establish and maintain best practice.

Reports to: Quality Business Partner

Product and Process

• Understand and support delivery of the Primark Departmental and Quality strategy to deliver the customer promise.
• Strong technical expertise to deliver quality products that are safe, legal and fit for purpose.
• Apply quality standards and commercially evaluate product testing
• Responsible for ensuring all products signed off meet the relevant quality requirements
• Liaise with retail teams to understand and interpret customer feedback on quality issues.
• Quality benchmarking of Primark and key competitors for fit, quality and performance
• Adheres to “the Best Practice” sample process flow
• Working alongside the Primark Compliance team to ensure the Primark Quality Standards are in line with industry standards (Value/Volume retail).
• Demonstrates an understanding of the legal requirements for labelling
• Proactive problem solving to identify potential fit, fabric or component quality issues
• Participate in the delivery of the key line programme to ensure Primark quality standards and cost efficiencies are achieved.
• Supports and resolves quality issues in a timely manner with clear solutions and communication to all relevant stakeholders.
• Evaluating risk and ability to make commercial recommendations on quality priorities in a volume environment.
• Monitors the Returns Report to identify high returning styles/products, working with the supply base to resolve and improve future deliveries.
• Identifies risk suppliers/product for Pre-shipment and CFS inspection.
• Aware of emerging trends, innovations and legal requirements to proactively support product development.

• Suppliers
• Through reporting (portal testing, store visits, pre-shipment inspections, returns and CFS reports) identify quality issues within the supply base and work with the product operations teams and the Quality Business Partner to support solutions.
• In partnership with the product operations teams participate in supplier meetings to drive the quality agenda.
• Maintains regular updates to the supply base on Primark quality standards
• Engages with Sourcing and Ethical to understand supplier performance.
• Identify opportunities where process efficiencies can be developed and drive cost savings

• Communication and Influence
• Through regular, timely and robust communication promote and represent the Quality within the department, facilitating a culture of continuous improvement.
• Through training and engagement with product operationsand Suppliers, improve the sampling hit rate.
• Supports and delivers departmental updates and presentations both internally and externally
• Attends B&M department meetings representing the quality function
• Demonstrates ability to influence Buyers, Controllers and Directors with their decision making regarding quality standards.

• Working with others / Leading and Managing others
• Coaches others to identify their skills, abilities and development areas and aligns these to stretching and challenging development activities while maintaining motivation.
• Conducts regular, open discussions with direct reports about their strengths and development areas, facilitating an understanding of performance expectations and the creation of formal development plans
• Facilitates team decision making, consistency and fairness when working with others
• Actively seeks out stretching opportunities to support own development
• Contributing to and supporting the development of our quality teams
• Provides coaching and up-skilling to the product operationsteams as required
• Provides training in best practice for sample approval to QA, product operationsteams and suppliers
• Provide regular updates to the product operationsteams and suppliers regarding new sections within the QA manual
• Provide training support to the CFS’s as required