Footwear Technologist

Kurt Geiger; Exeter; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Kurt Geiger seeks an experienced Footwear Technologist to join their dynamic team in Exeter. In this role, you'll support sourcing operations and ensure product quality in women's premium footwear. The ideal candidate will bring technical expertise, strong communication skills, and a keen attention to detail to help drive the business forward. Join a creative and inclusive brand that values your contribution and offers a range of employee benefits, including flexible working hours and career progression opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive basic salary

Pension and life assurance

Summer hours with early finish

Half-day, pay day Friday

RetailTrust support

Opportunities for progression

Qualifications

• Experience in footwear production or sourcing required.
• Understanding of leather necessary.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Maintain data on supplier quality issues and update records.
• Facilitate raw material testing and communicate results.
• Support cost negotiations with brand partners.

Skills

Footwear fitting

Communication

Attention to detail

Project management

Researching skills

Education

Technically trained in footwear

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

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Kurt Geiger | About Us

We are an inclusive, creative footwear and accessories brand powered by kindness. We want to empower our talent to be confident and true to themselves, the London way. London is our home, our heartbeat, and we draw inspiration from the energy and spirit of the city; its diversity and creativity. For over fifty years our team of in-house shoe and accessory designers have been creating authentic, distinctive designs from our London headquarters. The rainbow is our signature. It represents the good energy and love we have for our community and the many ways we collectively express our individual style.

We Are One: For Love | For Diversity | For Change | For Equality | For Kindness For Freedom | For Unity Against Racism

We are looking for an experienced Footwear Technologist, ideally with a background in manufacturing and sourcing of premium women’s footwear and leather goods. A thorough knowledge of footwear development and manufacturing. Has a good awareness of market trends to ensure that the footwear is functional, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing.

Main Duties

• Support the Sourcing Team by maintaining data regarding supplier quality issues and ensuring that records are maintained and updated
• Facilitating raw material and sample testing and communicating the results to internal stakeholders
• Help to collate the data on leather sourcing and volumes to provide the Leather Working Group
• Becoming familiar with compliance and regulations to ensure that the necessary processes and documentation is followed and in order and records are kept
• Accessing the internal order tracking system to advise on Head of Sourcing on shipment schedules, so the resources in Asia can be applied to the right factories
• Follow up with the distribution centres in the UK, Europe and the US to ensure that any sample to illustrate issues are being sent to HQ and the suppliers
• Support cost negotiations & work closely with brand partners to ensure prices and margins are achieved
• Work proactively with the UK team and Asia Supply Chain team to take appropriate action on production schedules and material approvals
• Send samples off for testing and following up on quality related issues
• Build cross-functional team relationships to confidently communicate information regarding supply chain related issues
• Assist and support the team with day-to-day duties

Requirements

• Carry out regular store visits to report on quality standards
• Product data input on the required systems
• Complete seasonal product reports for senior leadership meetings
• Support other departments when cover is needed
• Where necessary go on trips with the Buyer and/or Designer to suppliers around the world
• Liaise with DC QC team to ensure that products are inspected appropriately
• Investigate quality issues, find solutions and report findings to the QA Technical manager
• Ensure emerging issues are resolved quickly and effectively
• Ensuring traceability of confirmation samples into the warehouse is maintained, and that you have an oversight of the DC inspection process
• Ensure all damaged goods, manufacturing faults, transit damages are processed in an appropriate manner and that all costs are recharged to responsible parties through correct process
• Ensure international compliance documentation is accessible in the central system to prevent shipping delays

Skills

• Technically trained in footwear fitting and grading
• Previous experience in footwear production or sourcing
• Can work to tight deadlines
• A strong and effective communicator
• Has experience in women’s premium fashion footwear
• Inquisitive and confident - enjoys researching and summarising information on ad-hoc projects
• Project management skills - the ability to manage multiple areas of work and ensure deadlines are met and work is delivered to a high standard
• Attention to detail and accuracy essential- the ability to research, understand and relay information on legislation and advise actions as required to the relevant stakeholders
• Has a good understanding of leather
• Has Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint Skills
• Competitive basic salary
• Pension and life assurance
• Summer Hours - 3pm Friday finish
• Half Day, Pay Day Friday (once per month)
• RetailTrust support
• And so much more!

If you’re successful, you will work for a business which recognises that amazing people are the key to driving our business forward and fulfil our vision of being the world’s leading multi-channel retailer of luxury branded shoes and accessories. We are a fast-paced business where no two days are the same, so you will need to be adaptable; but we will reward your hard-work, commitment and loyalty with a fantastic benefits package and very real opportunities for progression.

Our Culture

We’re an energic fast-paced brand that embraces progress and strives for innovation. Hard work is rewarded with new opportunities at every level and kindness is celebrated in everything we do. Our summer working hours accommodate a healthy work life balance. Wellbeing is important to our working culture, which is why we nurture a friendly environment for talent to thrive in, alongside a vibrant social community.

The first Kurt Geiger store opened on London Bond street in 1963. Today, our brand has global appeal and is distributed in hundreds of cities around the world. We operate over 70 stand-alone stores nationwide, including our new flagship store on London Oxford street, and in over 400 stores globally. Beyond stand-alone stores and retail pop ups, our retail partners include some of the world’s most famous department stores.

We Are One: For Love | For Diversity | For Change | For Equality | For Kindness | For Freedom | Against Racism