Our client is a global, multichannel gift and gadget company that is comprised of both retail and wholesale businesses. They are one of the UK’s leading and fastest growing retail operators in the gifts and gadgets industry, with 45 stores currently open across the UK. As well as a great benefits package, our client is also offering hybrid working.
Their  compliance team is responsible for managing $20M of stock through an extensive critical path. Ensuring all stock imported into the UK is compliant to all relevant EU and UK legislation, is fit for purpose and meets excellent quality standards for our customers.

As a Junior Product Technologist your role will be to confidently carry out all compliance procedures, ensure all imported products conform to applicable regulations while meeting deadlines set out on the critical path. Your main responsibilities will be:

• To work closely with the Buying department to advise of potential risks with NPD and work with the team to design out as much risk as possible.
• Create and organise product conformity assessments to determine product testing requirements
• Regularly request, check, and file test reports in the Technical Files.
• To liaise with testing laboratories in the UK and Far East to determine and ensure our products pass all relevant testing.
• Review Bill of Materials and check for any substances which are a concern and highlight to compliance manager.
• To work closely with the Far East Office, suppliers, and auditors to collate and maintain all factory ethical audits.
• To review product and packaging artwork to ensure all legal requirements are met.
• Create and organise declarations of conformity.
• To assist with returns analysis, working closely with the warehouse team to identify any potential batch issues.
• Work closely with the compliance manager to highlight any areas for concern where a commercial decision is to be made.
• Copyright checks – check for patents before introducing a new item on to the market.
• Working to the critical path to ensure all deadlines are met.
• Ad-hoc tasks.
• Providing department cover as required.

Required skills & attributes:

• 1+ years’ experience working as an assistant product technologist or similar.
• Strong knowledge of EU and UK product safety legislation.
• Experience working in a retail business.
• Excellent time management skills, able to easily manage various tasks at once.
• High attention to detail, able to easily identify issues and mistakes.
• Proactive approach to work.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills.
• Able to work well under pressure, in a fast-paced environment.