Product Returns Technician in Burton upon Trent

At Argos, we’re a digital-led UK retailer that keeps pushing boundaries to meet every generation with what they want, how and when they want it. As a market leader in general merchandise, serving millions of customers through our website, app, same-day delivery and Click & Collect services, we offer real opportunities to learn, grow and shape your career. With roles spanning Commercial, Buying, Merchandising, Design and Supply Chain, through to Digital, Operations, Customer Experience, Marketing, and People and Transformation , you will work with brilliant colleagues and directly shape how we serve our customers every day. From enabling inspiring choice across our owned brands, including Habitat, Chad Valley and Bush, alongside the world’s biggest brands like Apple, Lego, Xbox and Samsung, to making shopping effortlessly convenient, championing trusted value and accelerating our strategy - Argos is an exciting place to build your future.

Product Returns Technician

We have an exciting opportunity for a Product Returns Technician to join our Technical & Ethical team, based within the Product Quality Lab at our Barton Distribution Centre.

In this role, you’ll investigate customer returns and product safety incidents, carrying out inspections, testing and analysis to understand product performance and identify root causes. Your findings will support customer resolutions, supplier investigations, insurance and legal claims, while helping to drive improvements in product quality and safety across our Argos product range.

This is a great opportunity to develop your technical expertise while working alongside specialists across the business, contributing to meaningful product improvements that directly impact our customers experience.

What You’ll Do

You’ll carry out technical inspections, testing and fault diagnosis on returned consumer products, investigating product failures and hazardous product notifications to determine root causes. You’ll gather and assess technical evidence, produce clear and accurate investigation reports, and maintain records across business systems.

Working with a variety of stakeholders, you’ll support the completion of investigations within agreed timescales and identify recurring faults, emerging safety concerns and product trends, escalating findings where appropriate. You’ll also contribute to supplier investigations and product improvement initiatives through technical recommendations, while ensuring all activities are conducted safely and in line with laboratory procedures.

Who You Are

You’re naturally curious, analytical and enjoy getting to the root cause of a problem. You have a keen eye for detail and are comfortable assessing technical information, carrying out investigations and communicating findings clearly to a range of audiences.

You enjoy collaborating with others, building effective relationships and working as part of a team to deliver the right outcomes. You’re organised, able to manage multiple priorities and have an interest in consumer products, engineering, product quality or product safety.

Essential Criteria

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess technical evidence and determine root causes.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical and electronic systems used within consumer products.
• Experience of fault diagnosis, testing or investigating product issues.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate written reports.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical findings clearly to a range of audiences.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple investigations and priorities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
• The ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the business.

Whilst not essential, experience of consumer product testing, product safety, failure analysis or engineering environments would be advantageous.