Product Specialist

JSM Recruitment; Ringway; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing product-focused company in the United Kingdom is seeking a Product Specialist. This role involves ownership of product ranges, trend analysis, and supplier management. The ideal candidate should be experienced in product development and have excellent negotiation skills. You will be responsible for ensuring that all products meet customer expectations while adhering to timelines for product delivery and continuous improvement. This position offers the chance to drive innovation and work directly with suppliers across various brands.

Qualifications

• Experience in product management or category management is essential.
• Ability to identify and react to product trends.
• Strong negotiation skills with suppliers and factories.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of product ranges for specific brands.
• Sourcing products and managing supplier relationships.
• Ensuring product development deadlines are met.

Skills

Product development

Trend analysis

Supplier management

Negotiation skills

Attention to detail

Job description

My client is looking to recruit a Product Specialist/Category Manager/Buyer for their team that is continuously growing. The role of a Product Specialist is for a curious and enthusiastic product lover, responsible for developing best‑in‑class product ranges, maximising value for money and driving innovation in the marketplace. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for continuous improvement, consistently delivering exceptional products that meet and exceed customer expectations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Seasonal ranges by brand
   • Overall ownership of key categories / brands becoming an expert in your space.
   • Curating product ranges by season touching all applicable price points and formats.
2. Trend led product
   • Being an expert in your space, identifying trends or trending products.
   • Responsible for reacting to trends, working with factories and internal teams to be first to market.
3. Customer specific product
   • Responsible for reacting to customer specific briefs set by sales.
   • Sourcing, costing and sampling adhering to short deadlines whilst delivering best cost and quality product.
4. Everyday 365 product
   • Applying an adaptable approach to continuous development on everyday core skus.

Product sourcing / supplier management

• Identifying key suppliers and suitable factories understanding the appropriate sourcing route and preferred supplier for product.
• Establishing and maintaining good relationships with existing and potential new suppliers.
• Completion of new factory profile forms and ensuring all new factories are approved by QA.Negotiation of trading terms.
• Cost negotiation and completion of costing sheets ensuring margin is in line with company expectations.
• Ensure products costs are in line with material costs with the support of the head of PD.
• Responsible for samples across all lines negotiating samples with factories minimising costs to the business.
• International travel as and when required to visit supplier's showroom / factories.
• Attending trade shows to meet with suppliers to manage relationships and to source new suppliers.
• Regular video calls to maintain and strengthen supplier relationships.
• Sourcing of new trends, hot products.
• Creating product briefs for suppliers and factories, working with design and QA to ensure we are up to date with standards for products and factories.
• Manage the performance of suppliers, with support from the head of PD dealing with issues quickly and effectively ensuring minimal impact to the business.
• Working with the sales team on reactive briefs for the customers, ensuring the appropriate sourcing route is utilised.

Critical path management

• Ownership of the product Development Critical Path Management.
• Ensuring product critical paths and weekly workloads are on track to achieve deadlines from concept to pre-production with design and factories.
• Ensuring deadlines are adhered to and follow up on all sample issues to resolve and drive to completion.
• Identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified at all stages.
• Monitoring order Critical Path with Merch to ensure intake dates are met.

Only relevant candidates will be contacted.