Senior Product Developer

· Job Title – Senior Product Developer *Internal Applications Only*

· Location – JD Group, Hollins Brook Way, Pilsworth, BL9 8RR.

· Working hours – Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Drive intake margin improvement through garment engineering and appropriate fabric selection and utilisation, to ensure best possible prices without compromising relevant quality level for the Brand.
• Develop production programs as appropriate, working with Head of Sourcing.
• Drive the development process ensuring product is sampled in line with the Sourcing Strategy and Textiles 2030 sustainability goals, providing proto samples and costings to Buying team.
• Open Cost as appropriate and negotiate prices with suppliers in an ethical manner based on raw materials and construction costs along economies of scale.
• Ensure product sustainability is at the heart of the own brands and the ethos behind all our actions.
• Provide input and assist in developing and implementing new strategy and technologies, supporting roll out to teams and suppliers as appropriate.
• Manage the setup of size specs / blocks & graded size charts for all product areas, ensuring all size specs/Tech packs for development & production are issued to factories & suppliers ensuring continuity & consistency.
• Responsible for the sample fit, inspection, measurement, and comments (proto samples through to production) Approving each stage of development.
• Manage fit meetings with Buying & Design, ensuring that technical packs / fit comments are sent to suppliers & factories without any delay.
• Working alongside the Buying team, drive the critical path for all orders.
• Communicate with Buying, Merchandising, Allocators, Supply Chain and Suppliers to raise orders ensuring critical path is met.
• Manage and approve fabric testing & care label development with the Suppliers.
• Ensure approval of lab-dips and strike offs in a timely manner, referring issues to the Design and Buying team.
• Ensure product compliance in line with all relevant legislation
• Ensure that factories follow company supplier guidelines.
• Ensure product quality meets the relevant standards.
• Work with the QC team/Warehouse to review and feedback any issues.
• Analyse KPI’s and utilise to develop continuous improvement plans.
• Generate seasonal reports as required from the PLM system.
• Conduct factory visits/warehouse trips to develop/improve production, evaluating sources for lead-time/£/Capability/location.
• Develop knowledge of production planning, line balancing and inline qc process to improve our Supplier management.
• Work with other JD departments to improve our impact, ensuring that it is positive across the business.
• Manage the Product Developer within the team ensuring appropriate process is followed and technical guidance and personal development support is provided.

The Company:

The JD Group is a leading omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion, Street & Premium Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with over 60,000 colleagues over 3,400 stores across several retail fascia's in over 30 markets around the world.

We are an equal opportunities employer who embraces and values differences. We recognise the importance of an inclusive workplace culture in which everyone can thrive irrespective of their background or identity.

To be a part of this successful and continuously growing company, you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people first, a digital leader and customer focused organisation which provides operational excellence and is continuous with identifying new areas of growth into our day-to-day.

We know our employees work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits:

• Incremental Holiday Allowance
• Staff Discount on qualifying purchases across Group retail stores and online
• Exclusive Colleague Bike Discount scheme
• Discounted Gym membership
• Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work
• Access to Apprenticeships and accredited qualifications

Interested?

If you are interested in this position, then press the Apply Now button.

Due to the high volumes of applications our opportunities attract, it takes time to review them all. If you don't hear back within two weeks of your application, please consider your application to have been unsuccessful on this occasion

Applications that meet the skills criteria will be contacted for a 1st stage meeting with the talent team. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to interview with the hiring manager.

Thank you again for your time.