Product Quality Manager (Workwear)

Overview

In this role you will be Kingfisher’s senior garment technologist for the Workwear category, ensuring Own Exclusive Brand products are safe, fit for purpose, and of high quality from development to bulk production. You will guide product, design, sourcing and supplier teams, aligning with the group quality strategy and driving post-launch performance improvements. You’ll shape technical standards, risk assessments and labeling, while coaching colleagues and improving supplier collaboration at scale.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive benefits package
• hybrid working model

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior garment technical expert for the category, guiding product, design, sourcing and supplier teams.
• Support the execution of the group quality strategy through daily application of requirements.
• Manage stakeholder relationships to achieve customer, quality and commercial outcomes.
• Coach and share technical knowledge with colleagues and ensure consistent ways of working.
• Create, review and maintain technical specs, measurement charts, construction details, BOMs, risk assessments and product standards.
• Lead fit reviews and sample evaluations, addressing pattern, grading, sizing, construction, workmanship, comfort and appearance issues.
• Ensure development, approval and sealing requirements align with critical path.
• Assess materials, trims and components for suitability, performance and production viability.
• Collaborate with global buying offices and suppliers to resolve technical issues and ensure bulk reproducibility of fit and quality.
• Develop and approve product labeling, care information, packaging warnings and customer instructions.
• Monitor post-sale performance, lead post-launch reviews, identify quality trends and implement corrective actions.
• Support safety, regulatory, withdrawal and recall investigations when required and embed lessons learned in future specs and sourcing decisions.

Key requirements

• Extensive garment technology and workwear product development experience in retail, brand, manufacturing or supply chain environments.
• Strong knowledge of garment construction, pattern cutting, grading, fit, sizing and manufacturing methods across relevant product types.
• Experience creating and reviewing technical packs, measurement specs, construction standards, risk assessments and product approval docs.
• Knowledge of fabrics, trims, finishing processes, care requirements and common garment failure modes.
• Practical understanding of garment performance testing, product safety, labeling and UK/EU compliance.
• Understanding of supplier quality management, production controls and bulk manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Ability to manage priorities and make sound technical decisions within a product development timeline.

• Analytical mindset
• Strong communication and coaching ability
• Stakeholder management and collaboration
• Garment technology and workwear development
• Technical packs, measurement specifications, construction standards
• Risk assessments and product approval documentation

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