Hardgoods Product Technologist

Hardgoods Product Technologist

Based at our Head Office in Whyteleafe, Surrey (just 15 minutes outside of Croydon, easily commutable from London).

Competitive hybrid working model – 2 core days at head office and 3 days working from home, with enhanced variable core hours.

Great benefits including 50% staff discount, company bonus and a day off for your Birthday to name a few!

An exciting opportunity has become available for a talented Hardgoods Technologist to join our incredible Buying team. Within this role you’ll be developing our phenomenally successful Toys, Sex Essentials and Accessories. Bringing new products to the market whilst ensuring all relevant standards and legislation are met in your categories.

You’ll be the go-to person for product quality and be passionate in the pursuit of consistently high standards. This person will be our brands’ category expert so it’s essential you thrive on supporting, developing and empowering to create a great dynamic, and in turn deliver exceptional results.

A bit about Ann Summers…

We’re the rule breakers, the boundary pushers, and the game changers. We’ve been disrupting the high street and empowering our customers for over 50 years and doing it flawlessly (if we do say so ourselves). We are the authority in our industry, renowned for our revolutionary toys, gorgeous lingerie and expert advice…but there’s so much more that makes us who we are.

We’re a unique brand that strives to EMPOWER, lives to PUSH BOUNDARIES, gets kicks off MAKING IT HAPPEN and is ALWAYS INCLUSIVE!

A bit about the role…

• Being an integral part of the product development process to ensure technical standards are always considered.
• Ensuring the business is compliant with all governing body requirements relating to specific product types.
• Take shared responsibility with the B&M team for meeting relevant critical path dates.
• Working closely with suppliers to take shared ownership towards delivering high quality and consistent standards of products.
• Where appropriate managing the empowerment of offshore factories and UK suppliers.
• Monitoring and managing any quality related issues, ensuring that the risk to the business is minimised.
• Proposing solutions and making decisions whilst considering commercial risk to the business.
• Deliver consistently high standards of presentation of ideas whilst communicating in a business-friendly style and language.
• Being the category expert, taking an interest in industry developments and seeking constant knowledge development.
• Share customer insight and feedback with team members to inform the wider commercial business decisions.
• Establish and maintain constructive and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across the business.
• Role modelling the Ann Summers values in everything you do.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Previous experience as a product technologist, ideally within the toys, electrical, beauty or bath & body space, for a retailer or brand.
• Previous experience working with overseas suppliers, ideally in the Far East.
• A passion for ensuring product quality and compliance, with experience ensuring products meet legal and trading compliance standards.
• A genuine interest in industry trends, with good industry knowledge.
• An amazing stakeholder manager and relationship builder, establishing productive internal and external relationships.
• An affinity with our brand and products, who is an authentic ambassador of our people values.

At Ann Summers we are proud to continue embracing inclusion, diversity, and equality in our every day, supporting our people to be themselves. We are committed to building teams with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and views.

What’s in it for you?

Being part of the AS family offers some fab benefits, not only is it a great brand to be a part of, but not only will enjoy 50% staff discount, but so much more, take a look…

• 33 days holidays (including Bank Holidays) and a additional day holiday up to 33 days for each additional year you’re a part of the AS family.
• Holiday purchase scheme
• A paid day off for your Birthday
• 50% staff discount and sample sales
• Workplace pension scheme
• Company perks scheme
• Retail Trust – wellbeing programme
• Access to our internal L&D platform - Thrive
• Eye care vouchers
• Free onsite car park at HO or Season Ticket loan
• Colleague social activities

We value each one of our colleagues and aim to make Ann Summers a great place to be - after all, if you love what you do, you'll never WORK a day in your life.

We regret that due to high volumes we are unable to acknowledge every application. All successful candidates will be contacted as soon as possible to discuss the role and their experience further.

Ann Summers complies with all GDPR policies and by responding to this ad your details will be kept on record for a total of 6 months unless expressed otherwise.