Product Development Manager; Quality – Adult Footwear & Accessories

Product Development Manager (Quality) – Adult Footwear & Accessories

As a Product Development Manager, you will be responsible for developing commercially viable, customer-focused and trend-led Footwear & Accessories products that meet both customer and market demands. Acting as the gatekeeper of quality, brand integrity, safety and legal compliance, you will be a key part of the George Quality team.

George House

Full time

Permanent

37.5

Competitive salary plus benefits

Product Development - SF

2 August 2026

In this role, you will drive and execute the company-wide quality strategy across Footwear & Accessories, ensuring alignment across Buying, Design, Sourcing, Sustainability and Compliance teams. You will ensure products are developed and manufactured in the most appropriate factories, delivering quality, value and innovation from the outset.

This position requires close collaboration with Product, Sourcing, Compliance, Sustainability and extended teams to deliver innovative, safe, compliant and commercially successful products that exceed customer expectations.

• Ensure all Footwear & Accessories products sold by George/Asda are safe, legal and meet all relevant market standards.
• Stay informed on current and emerging legal, technical, sustainability and safety requirements affecting footwear and accessory categories.
• Drive product innovation, material development and technical enhancements.
• Add value and reduce costs through strategic product engineering, material optimisation and supplier efficiencies.
• Review and improve processes and standard operating procedures.
• Identify product risks early within the development process and support design, sourcing and costing decisions.
• Oversee the product development lifecycle from concept through to production approval.
• Develop products with a strong focus on functionality, durability, comfort, performance and customer value.
• Lead supplier technical reviews to ensure products are fit for purpose and meet George quality expectations.
• Uphold a "Right Product, Right Factory, Right First Time" approach in line with George Technical and Product Integrity standards.
• Monitor quality performance, customer complaints, non-conformities and supplier corrective action plans.
• Manage product withdrawals, safety incidents and recalls where required.

• Develop and manage a strategic global supply base.
• Build strong supplier partnerships.
• Review supplier performance regularly.
• Work cross-functionally with Ethical, Buying, Design, Sourcing and Merchandise teams.
• Support supplier capability building through technical training, factory visits and development programmes.
• Lead quality action plans arising from audits, due diligence reviews, returns analysis and customer complaints.

• Act as the category expert and gatekeeper of product quality, safety, sustainability and legal compliance.
• Ensure all products meet relevant UK, EU and international product safety regulations.
• Own product testing strategies across Footwear & Accessories categories.

• Slip resistance
• Sole bond adhesion
• Flex resistance
• Heel attachment
• Abrasion resistance
• Water resistance
• Performance durability testing
• Wear trials

• Strap and handle strength
• Zip performance
• Coating adhesion
• Jewellery safety requirements
• Corrosion testing
• Packaging compliance
• Durability and performance testing

• REACH regulations
• Restricted Substance Lists (RSL)
• Nickel release
• Heavy metals
• Phthalates
• Formaldehyde
• PFAS and emerging legislation
• Lead implementation of quality improvement plans based on customer feedback, returns analysis and compliance data.
• Monitor testing performance, claims and factory quality metrics.
• Handle crisis management processes including recalls, withdrawals and product safety issues.

• Continually monitor competitor activity, customer trends, innovation and market developments.
• Use competitor benchmarking to drive…