Product Technologist Furniture & Upholstery

Job description

  Salary
Competitive Salary + Benefits
·  Role area
Buying, Merchandising & Quality Assurance (Habitat)
·  Contract type
Permanent
·  Job reference
HRGJX329443
·  Location
London
EC1N 8TS
· 
About Habitat

Since 1964, Habitat has been challenging the way people style and shop for their homes. We’re an iconic homeware and furniture retailer that’s going through exciting times: alongside our three long-standing London flagship stores and extensive website, the brand is thinking big by going small - with a roll out programme planned for 2015 that’ll see our Mini Habitat stores grow massively countrywide.

For over 50 years Habitat has created good design that’s useful, distinctive and just a little witty. We recognise that today there are more brands than ever selling furniture, but we’re strong in our conviction that we’re true originals, because almost every piece in our collection is designed by us.

Key Responsibilities:

To ensure Habitat products comply with identified standards in terms of safety, quality, durability, functionality and ease of assembly. To develop and deliver innovative products that perform, meet legal and statutory requirements and customer needs.

To ensure that all factories have the relevant ethical and technical audits in place.

As the QA Technologist you’ll:

Ensure all products are executed in terms of construction, fittings, means of production, finish, raw material, packaging, assembly instructions, labelling etc. to agreed quality and customer standards
To provide all technical expertise to ensure that all technical and safety product characteristics are specified, appropriate and clearly documented. Ensure that products are fit for purpose, durable and safe.
Produce full technical documentation to verify that each product is manufactured according to the agreed specification.
To ensure that all local and company technical standards are adhered to and that the design integrity retained.
Ensure that all self-assembly products have clear, concise and accurate assembly instructions, which are customer friendly.
Analyse current products to identify where more cost effective solutions could be applied, without compromising the design integrity.
Monitor any quality problems which occur with existing products ensuring a quick resolution to any issues.
Establish and maintain a database of quality problems / supplier history for all products, for reference purposes and for use in monitoring long term supplier performance.
Regularly review and improve the quality of all aspects of the products in the range to agreed performance criteria.
Produce, when required, any product information that may be required in the selling process.
Undertake any specific projects in conjunction with the QA Lead Technologist, buying teams, with a view to effecting long term strategic improvements within the business.
Provide excellence in customer service to internal and external customers listening to and understanding their needs and responding in a customer focused manner.
Ensure all factories Habitat use have an ethical and technical audit in place – with all information logged and monitored to ensure audits do not go out of date.
Point of contact for special products that Habitat QA are involved in.
Report into the Lead Technologist and provide support where necessary.
Have an understanding of chemicals and the REACH directive.
Build strong relationships with suppliers and agents and ensure all information collated is fed back to the suppliers.

The ideal person will:

Be able to cope with diverse workload and will need to work at pace, to prioritise effectively and to control and monitor all work through to its natural conclusion. He/she will be required to forward think, use his/her initiative and be aware of the implications of instructions given.
Be able to use initiative at all times. The jobholder must be able to assess the relevance of and be able to prioritise information as a matter of course.
Have a good knowledge of Furniture and Upholstery
Be Self-motivating, confident, and presentable and be able to work to tight deadlines. An interest in developing a career within QA
Have previous retail experience or working in a fast paced environment is essential.
Have a good knowledge of the following product areas: Furniture & Upholstery.