Head of Technical - Electrical, DIY, Toys & Leisure

Joining Sainsbury's as the Head of Technical means being part of a dynamic and fast-paced organisation that is committed to delivering exceptional quality and value to our customers. In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead and motivate a talented technical team, driving technical excellence, innovation, and sustainability across our Sainsbury's brand products. With a focus on safety, integrity, and compliance, you will play a key role in protecting and adding value to our business. Working closely with various stakeholders, you will have the chance to contribute to strategic decision-making and shape the technical vision of the company. Join us to be part of a team that is passionate about delivering great quality products consistently and making a real difference in the lives of our customers., As the Head of Technical at Sainsbury's, your primary responsibility will be to manage the technical team and support the delivery of the technical vision, ensuring the protection and added value of our Sainsbury's brand products. You will oversee the category technical agenda, focusing on safety, integrity, governance, and quality management. Leading a team of Technical Managers and Product Technologists, you will drive technical excellence to consistently deliver great quality products that enhance our customers' lives. You will also play a key role in developing and implementing the technical strategy within the category, collaborating with the Category Leadership team to create and deliver category plans. Additionally, you will be accountable for ensuring compliance with safety, ethical, quality, and legal standards for all products, while continuously seeking opportunities to improve systems and processes. Building strong relationships with suppliers and promoting innovation across
product, packaging, and sustainability will also be part of your responsibilities. Overall, your leadership and management skills will contribute to the development of a high-performing, motivated, and innovative technical team, as well as fostering collaboration with various stakeholders within the organisation.

Science background with experience in the technical field and industry either in retail or the supply base
Experience, knowledge positive results of managing the supplier base and supplier chains
Knowledge of risk appetite, technical KPI's and governance
Proven ability to initiate and drive category technical strategy
Expert technical excellence and attention to detail from our suppliers and colleagues
Able to build strong trusting relationships with colleagues and suppliers
Understand the importance of strong communication. Has the ability to communicate effectively to all stakeholders and team members delivering better engagement and output
Create an open and approachable environment for the team and showing appreciation to individuals and teams
Have high standards and expectations of the team and create an environment which enables both giving and receiving feedback as part of day to day working
Passion for products and a genuine love of delighting the customer and leading people