Product Quality Manager (Workwear)

Kingfisher; Hampton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Kingfisher is hiring a Product Quality Manager for the Workwear category based in Southampton. The role focuses on technical development, ensuring safety, fit-for-purpose sizing, and ongoing quality across Own Exclusive Brand workwear products.

You will lead garment tech expertise, liaise with product, design and sourcing teams, and implement the quality strategy in daily activities while coaching colleagues and maintaining critical paths.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in garment technology or workwear development.
• Strong knowledge of garment construction, pattern cutting, grading and sizing.
• Experience creating and reviewing technical packs, measurement specs and product approvals.
• Good understanding of fabrics, trims, finishes and garment failure modes.
• Practical understanding of garment performance testing, safety and UK/EU compliance.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior garment technical expert for the category; guide product, design, sourcing and supplier teams.
• Apply the group quality strategy in daily activities.
• Manage relationships with stakeholders to achieve customer, quality and commercial outcomes.
• Coach and support colleagues with consistent technical practices.
• Create, review and maintain technical specs, measurement charts, BOMs and risk assessments.
• Lead fit reviews and sample evaluations, addressing pattern, grading and sizing issues.
• Ensure development, approval and sealing requirements align with the critical path.
• Assess materials and components for performance and production viability.
• Collaborate with global buyers and suppliers to ensure repeatable quality in bulk production.
• Develop product labelling, care information and packaging warnings.
• Monitor post-sale performance; lead root-cause analysis with suppliers.
• Support safety, regulatory, recall investigations when required.
• Embed lessons learned into future specifications and sourcing decisions.

Skills

Garment technology

Workwear development

Technical quality

Supplier quality

Pattern cutting

Grading

Quality assurance

Analytical skills

Job description

Overview

We’re Kingfisher, A team made up of over 74,000 passionate people who bring Kingfisher - and all our other brands: B&Q, Screwfix, Brico Depot, Castorama and Koctas to life. Guided by our purpose Better Homes. Better Lives. For Everyone. We believe a better world starts with better homes, and we work every day to make that a reality. Join us and help shape the future of home improvement. * This role is based in Southampton

As a Product Quality Manager looking after our Workwear category you will provide senior technical expertise across garment product development, ensuring products are safe, legal, fit for purpose, consistently sized and constructed, and deliver the required quality, performance, durability and value for customers. You are accountable for the technical development, approval and ongoing quality performance of Own Exclusive Brand (OEB) garment products within the workwear category.

What’s the job?

• Operate as a senior garment technical expert for the category, providing clear and practical guidance to product, design, sourcing and supplier teams.
• Support implementation of the group quality strategy through active application of requirements in daily activities.
• Manage relationships with key stakeholders and influence decisions to achieve the right customer, quality and commercial outcome.
• Coach and support colleagues, sharing technical knowledge and consistent ways of working.

Product development, fit and technical standards

• Create, review and maintain clear technical specifications, measurement charts, construction details, bills of materials, risk assessments and product standards.
• Lead fit reviews and sample evaluations, providing accurate comments and resolving issues relating to pattern, grading, sizing, construction, workmanship, comfort and appearance.
• Ensure product development, approval and sealing requirements are clearly briefed, understood and completed in line with the critical path.
• Assess materials, trims and components for suitability, compatibility, performance, durability, care requirements and production viability.
• Work with global buying offices and where required suppliers to resolve technical issues and ensure fit and quality standards are reproducible in bulk production.
• Develop and approve product labelling, care information, packaging warnings and customer instructions where appropriate.

Post-sale product performance

• Monitor returns and post-sale performance with the Performance Feedback Analyst.
• Lead post-launch reviews and identify recurring quality or failure trends.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action with suppliers and internal teams.
• Support safety, regulatory, withdrawal and recall investigations when required.
• Embed lessons learned into future specifications and sourcing decisions.

What you’ll bring

• Significant experience in garment technology, Workwear product development, technical quality or a related role within 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 specifications, construction standards, risk assessments and product approval documentation.
• Good knowledge of fabrics, fibres, trims, components, finishing processes, care requirements and common garment failure modes.
• Practical understanding of garment performance testing, product safety, labelling and applicable UK and EU compliance requirements.
• Good understanding of supplier quality management, production controls and bulk manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and implementation of effective corrective actions.
• Ability to manage priorities and make sound technical decisions while working to a product development critical path.

How We Work

We believe in flexibility and balance. Our hybrid model blends home working for focus with time spent connecting and collaborating - whether in our offices or at offsite locations. On average, around 60% of your time will involve in-person collaboration.

We also offer a competitive benefits package and plenty of opportunities to stretch and grow your career. An inclusive environment where your potential is limited only by your imagination. We encourage new ideas, support experimentation, and strive to create a workplace where everyone can be their best self. Find out more about Diversity & Inclusion at Kingfisher here.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our customers come from all walks of life - and so do we. We’re committed to ensuring all colleagues, future colleagues, and applicants are treated equally, regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, ethnicity, culture, religion, belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.