Production Technologist

Job description

Title: Apparel and Textiles Production Technologist
Location: India

Reports to: In Country Quality Manager

Purpose of role:
This role within the global Primark QA team is crucial to developing and maintaining a ‘right first-time’ approach with our supply base and their factories in line with the quality and value retailer and brand marketplace.

Partnering with the suppliers and the Primark head office QA team, the Apparel and Textiles Production Technologist will be a pivotal link between Primark head office and our factories ensuring production and quality requirements are consistently met.

It is expected that the successful candidate proactively provides feedback to the Primark Quality team, and to suppliers on best practice, successes, issues and corrective actions.

There will also be the need to support head office teams in the development of samples when requested, ensuring all requirements are clearly understood and implemented by the supplier.

Proactively managing risk in the supply base by driving supplier factory quality improvements and supporting the evaluation of suppliers and factories will also be essential

The successful candidate will work as part of the Regional QA team to ensure that suppliers manufacturing apparel or textile products are managing their production and quality in alignment with Primark processes and standards so that product shipped to the Primark retail markets is compliant to the legal, safety and quality requirements expected.

Responsibility:
·  Work closely with suppliers to build a right first-time approach in their manufacturing processes.
·  Support, train out, and deliver Primark quality updates both internally and externally
·  Understand, support and deliver the Primark Quality strategy to internal stakeholders and suppliers
·  Ensure technical expertise is used to support delivery of products that are safe, legal and fit for purpose in all of Primark’s retail markets
·  As part of the global quality team, it is expected that you will work closely with the quality team at origin and head office
·  Identify potential issues in production and up skill supplier’s ability in their production process and quality control where required.
·  Conduct Pre Production meetings, inline checks, factory evaluations as and when required and support or create corrective action plans with the supplier
·  Evaluate the production capability and quality control system of new factories
·  Resolves quality issues in a timely manner with clear solutions and communication to all relevant stakeholders.
·  Ensures that agreed delivery dates for contracts for product are monitored.
·  Working in partnership with the head office team, monitor returns to identify high returning styles/products in order that lessons learnt actions can contribute to and improvement for future deliveries.
·  Understand the factory supply base in terms of risk
·  Provide product knowledge training support to the local CFS’s (inspection centres) and head office QA teams as required
·  Participate and provide technical input into local quality meetings and factory assessment visits (if and when required).
·  Through regular, timely and robust communication, promote and represent the quality department both internally and externally for continuous improvement
·  Escalate any non-compliance to the Quality Manager / head office for quality issues, provide periodic reports

Requirement:

Essential
·  At least 8 years in manufacturing or quality assurance experience in an apparel or textile consumer product field
·  Fluent in English and local language
·  Experience of working in consumer product supply chains on the ground and with a sourcing or head office.
·  Understands the manufacturing construction of a product category group within the apparel and textiles field
·  Proven experience of evaluating products against specifications
·  Must demonstrate strong professional skills for communication, attention to detail, organisational skills, time management etc.
·  Knowledge of factory audits/approvals and inspections
·  Good computer skills
·  Mature, responsible and self-motivated
·  Driving for results, willing to take responsibility
·  Good analytical skills, good problem solver
·  Passionate about quality Beneficial
·  Knowledge of international testing requirements for EU and US markets