Technical Specialist - General Merchandise

Embed compliance and process improvements across General Merchandise (including WIGIGs) to ensure products are safe and legal for sale in the UK market, and meet Morrisons quality expectations. Provide expert technical advice and guidance to identify and mitigate significant product risks. Ensure that suppliers and sourcing agents work to agreed ways of working in line with the Technical code of practice. Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to drive continuous improvements and monitor progress, while supporting Technical Managers across their respective categories.

Accountabilities:

Customer

• Provide expert advice to ensure that General Merchandise products are safe, legal and good quality.
• Play a key role in managing the factory audit programme to ensure all in-scope factories have an up-to-date, passed audit.
• Be a key link between Morrisons and external sourcing partners to ensure product ranges remain on track.
• Input into the Morrisons Technical strategy based on key objectives of delivering quality, reducing complaints & refunds, and moving at pace to support business growth.

Colleague

• Complete a risk assessment of General Merchandise WIGIG products and ensure that the non-food routes to market policy is followed.
• Run complaints and refund reporting across all General Merchandise product categories (core range and WIGIGs).
• Liaise with third party labs to ensure the General Merchandise product risk matrix is up to date and reflects recent product regulatory changes.
• Explain complex product regulatory issues to senior stakeholders in a clear and concise way.

Operational

• Ensure that the TUV improvement programme runs on track with a clear action plan and outcomes for all stakeholders.
• Coordinate investigation and response in the event of serious product complaint, withdrawal or recall.
• Ensure that sourcing partners and suppliers implement Technical processes across factory audits, testing and pre-shipment inspections.
• Lead improvement projects focussed on providing product expertise and delivering simple processes.

Sales, Profit and Cash

• Work with third party laboratories to ensure that all testing, audit, and pre-shipment inspections are delivered at best value.
• Manage the General Merchandise technical testing and sampling budget for all categories and provide regular updates on spend.
• Support a continuous improvement culture to focus on product compliance and good service for commercial teams.

Do you have experience in Quality management?, Knowledge

• Expert product knowledge and previous experience of working in a Technical function.
• Experience of implementing technical standards in a General Merchandise or Textiles setting.
• Working knowledge of quality management platforms and document control systems/databases.

Skills

• Strong analytical thinking and problem solving capabilities.
• Strong communication and proven influencing capabilities, including the ability to challenge senior stakeholders.
• Proven capability to interpret technical information and internal policies and apply this interpretation in practice.
• Ability to champion and implement change across multiple functions/stakeholders.

Experience

• Experience of working in a technical function (whether supplier or retail) - being able to risk assess products across multiple categories.
• High degree of computer literacy with ability in data analysis and the development of Google-based solutions.

Pulled from the full job description

• Employee discount
• Free parking
• Store discount
• Company pension
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced maternity leave
• On-site parking, In return for all your hard work, you will receive:
• 15% discount in store from the day you join us
• Additional 10% discount card for a friend or family member
• Annual bonus scheme
• Career progression and development opportunities
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Market leading pension scheme and life assurance
• Healthcare benefits including Aviva Digital GP
• 'MyPerks' giving you discount with over 850 retailers
• Free parking onsite
• Enhanced Family, Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Private Healthcare

Alive with activity, our modern Head Office is home to our corporate teams that make sure everything runs smoothly. Here, you'll find comfy breakout areas, a coffee shop, Morrisons Daily and a subsidised restaurant. We are within commuting distance of Leeds, Manchester and the Yorkshire Dales - and we even have free parking! At our Head Office you will expect to find supplier showcases, charity fundraising and celebrations all year round for the events that mean the most to our colleagues. There's more to our business as it's fast paced and ever changing, as such we've got lots of fresh opportunities for you to play your part in our success. We'd love to meet you! At Morrisons, we're proud to be building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We want every colleague to feel respected, supported and able to be themselves at work. Different voices, experiences and ways of thinking help us grow and improve and that's good for our customers too. We're always looking for people from all walks of life to join us and bring their talents to our team. Together, we can build a workplace where everyone has the chance to thrive, make a difference and belong.