Junior Technologist

Overview:

Home. There’s no place like it. And there’s no feeling quite like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home. At Dunelm, that’s what we do. We’re the UK’s number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And the caring, encouraging culture we’ve built makes this a place you’ll feel right at home too.

We’re proud to offer over 100,000 products and a shopping experience that works for everyone whether that’s online, in-store, or a mix of both. We’re growing fast, investing in our supply chain, stores, and technology so we can keep delighting customers with more choice, better services, and clever innovations. And we’re doing it all with sustainability in mind, through our Good & Circular strategy because a home that feels good should do good too.

About the Role:

 You will be responsible for managing the technical development, quality assurance and compliance of your product range, whilst ensuring products meet legal, safety and quality standards to exceed customer expectations. As part of this role you’ll be hands-on with the details that make a big difference checking products, keeping compliance records in order, and helping investigate any issues that pop up. You’ll work closely with suppliers and our commercial teams to make sure everything we sell meets the standards our customers expect.

This role requires knowledge in product development, supplier management, and technical innovation within the retail sector, as well as excellent time management and prioritisation skills. You will be working closely with key stakeholders to develop product which not only is fit for purpose and high quality but also maintaining consistency within quality standards by utilising data sources to identify opportunities to drive continuous improvement.

Work your way, together:

We’re a hybrid business, which means you’ll have flexibility alongside time together with your team. In this role, you can expect 2 days a week in the office or on-site, helping you stay connected, collaborate and do your best work for our customers.

What you'll be doing:

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the end-to-end product development process, ensuring compliance with technical, safety, and quality standards in line with critical path.

• Work closely with the commercial team and suppliers to implement product performance standards and ensure approvals are completed in line with the critical path

• Ensure products comply with industry regulations, Dunelm quality standards and sustainability initiatives.

• Ensure manufacturing sites meet Dunelm technical and ethical standards including auditing requirements. Support with corrective actions.

• Stay up to date with industry trends, legislation, and best practices in product technology and compliance.

• Work closely with buying teams, suppliers, and external parties to implement and drive sustainability and circularity initiatives

• Monitor category performance against objectives and targets including returns and customer reviews to improve and develop product ranges.

• Develop skills in data analysis, reporting, and root cause identification.

• Identify supplier-related product issues and support the tracking of corrective actions and factory improvements, working collaboratively with suppliers and manufacturers to maintain and improve product quality and performance.

What we'll look for in you:

• Experience in technologist role, or similar, in retail or supply chain.

• Technical knowledge of product standards, regulatory compliance and manufacturing processes.

• Naturally analytical with an interest in how products perform

• A good team player with excellent time management.

• Experience working with UK and global suppliers is desirable.

• Ability to prioritise and take initiative in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong organisational, communication, and project management skills.