Technical Manager - Home & Fragrance

Our Role

The Technical and Quality Manager will be responsible for delivering the highest standards of quality product within the Home & Fragrance Categories for both the UK and the growing international market. You will lead and develop a strong team of Home Technologists who are clear in their accountabilities to deliver the very best products for TWC and who are confident and technically able to provide guidance and support to Buying.

You will work with the Supply Chain to continue to develop and deliver the Supplier relationship management & performance review process as well as being accountable for driving The White Company Home Product Quality proposition and processes from product concept through to delivery to customer.

The Technical Manager will also be responsible for the pro-active management of the sealing processes, balancing critical path, commercial and technical requirement as well as advising on buying and working within the ethical strategy for the business. You may be required to provide the Home Director with relevant and accurate information with regards to supplier or quality issues.

Working with the Supply Chain and Ethical and Sustainability teams, you will be accountable for onboarding competent and complaint suppliers and ensuring that our testing and product compliance requirements are regularly reviewed and understood by our supply base.

What you'll be doing

Strategy

• To jointly own with Buying & Merchandising the Supplier relationships for the business
• To clearly articulate and manage the product quality proposition across the business
• To participate fully in the setting of QA Home budgets (both long & short-term)
• To resource the team to meet critical path requirements. To work with relevant others to adapt the critical path to remove blockages.
• To support and help deliver the Business Strategy for international growth
• Devise practices that QA and Buying teams can follow during the product development processes to align with the sustainability strategy

Suppliers

• To review new supplier onboarding assessments from a technical perspective and ensure the process is understood by technologists
• To conduct regular and appropriate audits / self-audits of the supply base in line with the agreed strategy
• To pro-actively review customer feedback from Stores, Call Centre, Yotpo and Returns and build action plans to address root-cause issues raised with the appropriate teams. To put in place new strategies to avoid future issues.
• To compile (alongside Buying & Merchandising) and conduct regular Supplier Performance reviews with our top agents & suppliers.
• To review output from supplier reviews and challenge sourcing strategy, lead times and achieved margins.
• To use suppler quality performance metrics to help manage DC QC workflow, particularly during peak.

Quality

• Develops clear end to end QA through to QC processes. Is accountable for making sure they are clearly understood by our supply base.
• Monitor new product deliveries to the DCs, ensuring that appropriate QC inspections are carried out. Identify and agree commercial tolerances with Buyers and vendors, when issues are identified with Bulk production and ensure financial penalties and costs are actioned for non-compliant product.
• Be conversant with quality regulations that apply or may apply to TWC products. Determine & define new standards as new product areas or new regulations apply.
• To pro-actively manage the technical team in the product briefing process, in line with the critical path. (Materials, construction, finish, aftercare).
• To ensure the Technologists manage the communication with Suppliers during the sample production process, ensuring samples are made to the right standard, have test results and both technical and packaging problems are resolved.
• Manages the team to ensure all products are correctly packaged and care labelled to be fully legally compliant, and to protect them through our multi-channel delivery processes.
• Supports the team to work closely with Buyers and Suppliers to resolve issues arising during the production process.
• Supports Call Centre Managers in the resolution of any critical customer incident issues.
• Collectively with the Clothing Technical Manager, owns the product recall process for the business from both a customer safety perspective and consults with CEO, Directors, Heads, and Buying and Merchandising on all other quality recalls.
• To ensure return levels are appropriately monitored and work with Technologists and Buying teams to resolve and roll out lessons learnt.

Corporate Social Responsibility

• Has a clear understanding of both the business and customer expectations with regard to environmental issues.
• Works closely with relevant Heads of Dept. to continuously develop and deliver against our ethical proposition.

Resources

• To maximise efficiency from the system resources available.
• To operate within the agreed Quality budget framework.

Management Activities

• To actively participate as a cross-functional player within the Heads of & Manager Teams to ensure that Company objectives are met.
• To pro-actively report to the Home Director on business issues and performance.
• To review and develop the team so that they are appropriately trained and motivated and appropriately skilled for the growing needs of the Business, using the Company’s review process.
• To develop and maintain appropriate job descriptions for the department in order to ensure that responsibilities are clear.
• To continually monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the team and to propose changes that ensure TWC is a vibrant and profitable company that is prepared to lead and respond to internal and external threats and opportunities.
• To ensure all communications & analysis packs distributed across the business are well targeted and provide appropriate and accurate information.
• To build, develop and update training materials and processes as needed – ensuring training materials, processes and updates are standardised and shared cross divisionally to ensure an effective consistent on-brand message delegating any specialisms to departments as necessary. To aid in the production of new training manuals as required.

The skills and experience you’ll need

• Educated to an appropriate Degree equivalent level.
• Ability to work on own initiative whilst leading a team and networking.
• Strong knowledge and network to continuously develop the knowledge of risk assessments, safety standards & legal requirements. Determine and define new product standards as needs dictate.
• Ideally Audit trained with a recognised qualification.

What we’ll offer you

At The White Company, we value our employees for always going the extra mile for every one of our customers; we reward this with great benefits and competitive salaries.

• Discount -Up to 50% discount and access to regular Sample Sales
• Holiday - 25 days rising to 28 with length of service
• Holiday Buy – opportunity to buy up to 5 days holiday
• Pension Scheme - enrolled in our Group Personal Pension schemes upon joining the business.
• Bonus - In addition to our competitive salaries, all our employees are entitled to join a discretionary bonus scheme (based on policy eligibility)
• Wagestream Money Management app - access to Wagestream gives you power over your pay and supports financial wellbeing
• Continued Development – We offer structured support from our own in-house Learning and Development Hub
• Salary Sacrifice scheme for Electric vehicles (dependent on grade and meeting policy eligibility)
• Continued Development - Inclusion on our Leadership Development Programme (eligibility for contracts of 6 months plus Grade D & E roles only)
• Continued Development – We offer structured support from our own in-house Learning and Development Hub
• Private Healthcare with additional Babylon Digital Healthcare (based on contract duration)
• Life Assurance
• White City House (Soho House Group)Tenants Membership at a discounted rate, offering access to facilities in the House

Additional Benefits

• Fruit basket daily
• Tea and coffee provided
• Working from Home - option to work from home on Mondays and Fridays
• Social - Christmas party/social events throughout the year
• Seasonal Sample Sales
• Volunteer Day - with a charity of your choice
• Great Location - Close to transport links - over ground Shepherds Bush station /underground White City & Wood Lane stations. Westfield shopping centre with shops restaurants/bars/cinema and gyms

Our Equality Diversity and Inclusion statement of commitment

At The White Company we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates a diversity of backgrounds and identities.

We are working together to ensure our environment is one where people can bring their authentic selves to work, where their contribution is valued, ability enhanced, and perspective appreciated. Where difference is respected, encouraged, and celebrated. Where you can feel you belong.

We are committed to an active Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process.

We'd love you to join us on our journey.

Our Sustainability statement of commitment

We are committed to building a sustainable legacy that will enable a brighter future for people and our planet.’ We believe this should be reflected in everything we do.

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