Technical Manager (OEM)

AO RETAIL LIMITED; Bolton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holidays

Pension 5% employer

VIP arena access at AO Arena

Health & wellbeing programme

Discounts across product range

Family leave enhancements

Volunteer days to donate time

On-site perks and facilities

Job summary

AO RETAIL LIMITED in Bolton is looking for a Technical Manager to own the technical approval and ongoing management of OEM and direct import products from concept through to launch and beyond.

This hands-on role will involve working with suppliers, inspection partners and teams across AO to drive quality, regulatory compliance and a great customer experience. The role is onsite in Bolton, five days a week.

Qualifications

• Experience with consumer electrical products and development processes.
• Knowledge of product quality, testing and compliance requirements.
• Understanding of UKCA regulations and technical documentation.
• Experience with manufacturers, suppliers, testing labs or inspection providers.
• Ability to assess design, performance and functionality from a customer perspective.
• Experience reviewing product specs, manuals and customer-facing information.
• Understanding packaging requirements and supply chain considerations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with fixes driven by data.

Responsibilities

• Own technical approval and ongoing management of OEM and direct import products.
• Develop product specifications and technical requirements with suppliers and stakeholders.
• Lead product testing, sample reviews and quality assurance for launches.
• Ensure compliance including UKCA standards; review technical docs.
• Review manuals and content for accuracy and consistency.
• Coordinate with suppliers and inspection partners to maintain quality.
• Support packaging development for protection and logistics readiness.
• Analyze warranty trends and product performance to identify improvements.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for issues.
• Collaborate across Commercial, Customer Services, Technical and Logistics to improve performance.
• Support future category expansion into small appliances and smart tech.

Skills

Consumer electronics

Product quality & compliance

UKCA knowledge

Supplier collaboration

Customer-focused design

Documentation review

Packaging & supply chain

Analytical problem-solving

Job description

At AO, we're always looking for ways to make things better for our customers. As we continue growing our own-brand and direct import ranges, we're looking for a Technical Manager to help make sure every product we launch is safe, reliable, compliant and delivers a great customer experience. This is a hands-on role where you'll work closely with suppliers, inspection partners and teams across AO to manage products from concept through to launch and beyond. You'll play a key part in shaping product quality, solving technical challenges and making sure our products meet the high standards our customers expect. This is a varied role that combines technical expertise, problem-solving and supplier partnership, giving you the opportunity to influence product quality, customer experience and future range development. Our people are our superpower, and we're unstoppable when we're together! We want your ideas to flow, and what better way to make that happen than being based onsite in our Bolton office 5 days a week, where our culture fuels creativity, collaboration and growth. If a £1 bet in the pub between two friends can become the UKs most trusted electrical retailer, imagine what else can be achieved when we're together.

What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Taking ownership of the technical approval and ongoing management of OEM and direct import products.
• Developing product specifications and technical requirements with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Leading product testing, sample reviews and quality assurance activities to support successful product launches.
• Ensuring products meet all regulatory and compliance requirements, including UKCA standards.
• Reviewing technical documentation, user manuals and product content to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Working with suppliers and third-party inspection partners to maintain quality standards and manage pre-shipment approvals.
• Supporting packaging development to ensure products are protected and ready for AO's logistics and delivery network.
• Analysing customer feedback, warranty trends and product performance data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Investigating technical issues, leading root cause analysis and driving corrective actions.
• Building strong relationships across Commercial, Customer Services, Technical and Logistics teams to continuously improve product performance.
• Supporting future category expansion, including small domestic appliances, personal tech and smart technology.

What we're looking for

• Experience working with consumer electrical products and product development processes.
• Strong knowledge of product quality, testing and compliance requirements.
• A good understanding of UKCA regulations and technical documentation.
• Experience working with manufacturers, suppliers, testing laboratories or third-party inspection providers.
• The ability to assess product design, performance and functionality from a customer perspective.
• Experience reviewing product specifications, user manuals and customer-facing product information.
• An understanding of packaging requirements, product protection and supply chain considerations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience investigating product issues and driving improvements.

We're big on appliances and electricals, REALLY big. Washing machines, fridge freezers and TVs? They're our bread and butter. Mobiles, Airwraps and Ring doorbells? Yep, those too. If it plugs in, powers up or makes life easier, AO probably has it.

But we're more than that… For over 25 years, trust has been at the heart of everything we do, helping us become the UK's most trusted electrical retailer. Our customers rate us 4.9 on Trustpilot from over ONE MILLION reviews and more 5-star ratings than any other UK electrical retailer, because they know they can rely on us and it's the exact same for our AOers too. We truly believe it's more than just a job, we genuinely care about each other and our impact on making our customers lives easier, by helping them brilliantly. Everyone here knows how their role makes a difference. Our people are our superpower, so, when it comes to finding new AOers, we know it's about more than just a CV, it's about what makes you, YOU.

Benefits

• Holidays; 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Pension; Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we'll do the same, giving you a little extra support for the future.
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena; we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre-sale access!
• Health & wellbeing; discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP's, Mental Health support and much more.
• Discounts; exclusive discounts across our product range.
• Family leave; Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave.
• Making a difference; 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On site perks; start your day with free on site parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our in house coffee shop!

This role is based at our Head office in Horwich 5 days a week with some travel to our Crewe site. Please confirm this is ok for you?

Will you now or in the near future require visa sponsorship? (Please note, we are unable to provide this)

AO is for everyone! We should all feel that we belong. That's why we are creating a welcoming and inclusive place to work. We're proud to be different. From how we look to the way we talk to our customers, we skip to the beat of our very own drum. We know that being different together is our superpower and we celebrate it because it makes us stronger, more creative, and better at what we do. We believe the people we employ should reflect the diversity of our customer base; that way, we can communicate in a way that recognises all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, abilities, and sexual orientations. And that's why we're asking these questions. Making sure our recruitment process is inclusive is a key part of what we're doing at AO to encourage diversity as an employer.