Product Technologist - Maternity Cover in Bath

Portico Designs, established over 38 years ago and based in Bath, is a leading independent publisher of design-led gifts, offering both licensed brands and in-house designs. The company specializes in creating bespoke retailer-specific ranges and supplying general trade lines to independent retailers. We take pride in fostering strong, lasting relationships with our clients, licensing partners, and suppliers. Committed to quality, sustainability, and ethical practices, Portico ensures its products are responsibly sourced and of the highest standard.

This is a role for a Product Technologist (Maternity Cover), minimum 3 days a week, with flexibility on work-from-home arrangements. The role involves overseeing quality control and assurance for Portico’s products, ensuring compliance with relevant standards, and collaborating with teams to maintain sustainable and ethical sourcing.

Key responsibilities include:

• Analyzing product specifications, managing supplier documentation, and supporting the product development process with technical expertise.
• Advising on safety issues for products and ensuring that products are developed, produced and labelled to be compliant with customer and licensor requirements, and international product compliance legislation.
• Working proactively across the company to ensure products are developed to be safe, compliant, of good quality, with the correct regulatory product copy and from responsible factories.
• Managing the testing process for products, reviewing supplier documentation, advising on testing requirements, samples needed and costs, and agreeing test plans to ensure a full technical file prior to shipment.
• Supporting global sales teams by providing evidence of product compliance and developing relationships with key customer technologists.
• Implementing and keeping on top of new international legislation and customer requirements.
• Supporting the growth and utilisation of the company databases and planning tools in relation to factory documentation, technical files and safety labelling requirements.
• Working with factories to ensure they meet the ‘Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code’ and can prove good social governance with full and valid ethical audits by third parties.
• Ensuring third party test labs and auditors are efficiently used and costs fall within the product and yearly budgets.
• Maintaining daily communication with factories and testing laboratories to ensure quick resolution of any issues.
• Looking after, supporting, and adhering to customer needs, ensuring an excellent supplier experience.

Qualifications:

• Strong skills in Quality Control and Quality Assurance processes to ensure product standards are met.
• Experience in Food Technology or related fields to address product-related technical requirements.
• Analytical skills to assess product specifications, supplier performance, and compliance data.
• Excellent communication skills for effective collaboration with internal teams, suppliers, and clients.
• Highly organized with attention to detail for managing documentation and meeting deadlines.