Senior Technologist – Specialist Home/Stationery/Deco/Hobbies

Our client, a large and hugely successful European retailer based in the Netherlands, are looking for an experienced Category Specialist Technologist in Home/Stationery/Deco/Hobbies, to support the next extremely exciting phase of their International business growth. This business has previously won European Retailer of the Year and been shortlisted for World Retailer of the year.

The department

The Technical/Quality department is responsible for product quality performance, product specification, corporate social responsibility and sustainable sourcing ensuring that product performs to agreed business standards and its country of operations legal legislation.

Role purpose

To deliver quality, safety, compliance, legislation, ethics, innovation and customer facing quality marketing that ensures all products perform to all aspects of the quality and sustainability strategy.

Areas of Responsibility

• Deliver the category quality strategy driving commercial customer focussed benefit.
• Protect department / category product safety, compliance and ethical issues in line with legislation and policy.
• Deliver clear specifications and Product Requirement Specifications (PRS) depending on the product group, to include strategy product performance, material standards, fit for purpose standards, labelling guidelines, health warnings, construction and components in adherence with the Quality.
• Accountability for signing off system / PLM and ensuring that all relevant product technical documentation (legal, testing, safety) is present on the system for buying / production sample.
• Deliver sustainability requirements into the category in conjunction with buying teams.
• Benchmark products against competitors ensuring it is fit for purpose.
• Maintain integrity of product category data on company systems, working with sourcing offices to ensure suppliers are compliant in providing complete & accurate information to enable reporting.
• Lead global processes within the category, working with and providing direction to the sourcing offices to drive compliance to agreed ways of working and standards.
• Act as business ambassador protecting all quality, sustainability, safety, ethical, environmental and legislation requirements.
• Be able to work across multiple countries with local buying teams.

Candidate requirements

• MUST have experience working for a business outside of the UK within a product technical/quality/compliances/safety capacity
• MUST have fluent English language skills along with 1 other European language
• Educated to degree level or equivalent industry standard.
• Has significant commercial experience in a retail/manufacturing Quality/Technology role within the above product areas
• Computer literate MS Office, PLM advantageous.
• Able to relocate/work in Holland (relocation support provided)