Product Technologist - Footwear & Accessories

Working Pattern: Typically 4 days in the office, with core hours flexible between 8am-6pm. Based between Alfred Place (London) and The Barn (Market Harborough).

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role across two growing areas of the NEXT business – The Set and Licensed Brands.

The Set is NEXT's own contemporary brand, built around effortless, sophisticated, timeless and affordable pieces. Alongside this, our Licensed Brands business continues to grow, working with some of the UK's best-known brands across childrenswear, womenswear and accessories.

Working across both brands, you'll be responsible for developing a broad product portfolio including footwear and accessories, ensuring products meet our high standards for quality, fit, comfort, safety and performance while supporting innovation and commerciality throughout the product lifecycle.

This is a varied role requiring someone who enjoys working across multiple product categories, can adapt quickly to changing priorities and thrives in a fast-paced environment. The role will be based across both our London and Market Harborough offices, working closely with Buying, Design, Merchandising, Fabric Technology and our global supply base.

What You'll Take On

Develop footwear and accessory product areas from concept through to production, driving technical excellence, quality and product improvements across The Set and Licensed Brands.

Work collaboratively with Product teams to deliver commercially successful products that meet customer expectations for quality, fit, comfort and value.

Approve and progress product through the critical path by providing clear technical direction, reviewing samples, assessing fit and comfort, monitoring construction, materials and manufacturing methods, whilst ensuring all testing and legislative requirements are achieved.

Manage supplier performance, building strong relationships to improve technical capability, consistency and product quality.

Review in-season performance, analyse customer feedback and returns, and use data to drive continuous product improvements and reduce returns.

Support innovation by identifying opportunities to improve product performance, manufacturing efficiencies and customer value.

What You'll Bring

Whilst experience across footwear is essential, we're not looking for someone who has worked across every product category. More important is a positive attitude, commercial awareness and the agility to learn quickly.

You'll have previous experience in children's footwear, with a strong understanding of fit, comfort, construction, testing and legislative requirements. Experience across accessories such as bags, hats, gloves, scarves, socks and sunglasses is desirable, but we're looking for someone who is adaptable, curious and keen to broaden their technical expertise.

This role spans two teams and a number of brands with a diverse product portfolio, so success will come from your ability to build strong relationships, embrace new challenges and confidently apply your technical knowledge across multiple product categories. You'll be collaborative, resilient and solutions-focused, with excellent communication skills and the confidence to influence cross-functional teams and suppliers.

Your Team

Our Product Technology teams have a wealth of knowledge and experience across multiple product categories and territories. This is an excellent opportunity to broaden your technical expertise across both footwear and accessories while working alongside experienced product teams within two exciting and growing brands.

If you're looking for a varied technical role where no two days are the same, enjoy building strong relationships and want to help shape the future of two ambitious brands, we'd love to hear from you.

Sponsorship

Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements. For further information please see: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.

At NEXT, we believe the best work happens when there are no barriers to collaboration. That’s why we are a Google-powered workspace. From your very first day, you’ll be using the full Google Workspace suite; Docs, Drive, and Meet, to stay connected and move fast.

If your previous experience is rooted in other software suites, don’t worry! We’ll point you to a digital Google toolkit the moment you join, packed with handy guides and insider tips to help you transition smoothly and hit the ground running.

#LI-Onsite

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 80 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Profit-related bonus - based on company performance
• Management share options
• Company car or car allowance
• Private medical insurance
• Sharesave scheme - make savings from your net pay to buy NEXT shares at a discount
• Pension - fixed contribution rates from both an employer and employee perspective, but you're also able to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) if you wish to save more.
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Wagestream - helping you make the most out of your money
• Salary finance - offers access to affordable loans repaid through salary, simple savings and free financial education.
• 25% staff discount on most NEXT products - plus discount on other products
• Direct to work - NEXT orders delivered free to the office for collection
• VIP sale - early access to the NEXT sale
• Access to NEXT staff shops
• Octopus energy - like cycle-to-work, but for electric vehicles
• Free parking (excluding London locations)
• Travel2NEXT - bus services dependent on location
• On site dining facilities (excluding London locations)
• National and local discounts on goods and services - this includes things like discounted cinema tickets
• Wellhub - includes access to discounted gym membership
• Simply health - a healthcare subscription service
• Aviva Digicare Workplace+ healthcare service - 7 Free services including Digital GP appointments and an annual health check.
• Onsite GP - Leicester Head Office
• Onsite Physio - Leicester Head Office
• A range of dedicated 3rd party wellbeing partners
• Free eye testing - voucher to use at specific locations

Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.

We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email [email protected] (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.