Supplier Quality Technician

Supplier Quality Technician – Hawick

Competitive Salary + Career Progression + Competitive Company Pension + Excellent Health/Wellness Benefits

A brilliant opportunity has arisen for an organised, analytical and motivated professional to join our Quality team as a Supplier Quality Technician. Working at the heart of our luxury manufacturing operation, you will play a vital role in ensuring supplier quality performance, maintaining the integrity of incoming materials, supporting laboratory activities, and driving continuous improvement initiatives that minimise risk and uphold the exceptional standards our customers expect.

This role is ideally suited to someone who enjoys building strong working relationships, communicating confidently with suppliers and colleagues at all levels, and taking a proactive, solution-focused approach to problem solving. If you are passionate about quality, continuous improvement and delivering excellence within a dynamic manufacturing environment, we would love to hear from you.

Barrie Knitwear is a globally renowned fashion manufacturer, celebrated for combining exceptional technical expertise with traditional craftsmanship to create complex couture cashmere garments. Based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, we have over 100 years of heritage and proudly supply some of the world’s most prestigious luxury fashion houses. As we continue to grow and transform, this is an exciting time to join our team.

• Establish quality standards and reduce quality failures for yarns, fibres, packaging and purchased components.
• Ensure materials comply with specifications and customer requirements.
• Review material quality performance prior to release into production.
• Manage quality investigations relating to raw materials.
• Develop and maintain supplier quality performance monitoring systems.
• Lead supplier quality reviews and performance assessments.
• Manage supplier corrective action requests and improvement plans.
• Support qualification and approval of new suppliers.
• Conduct supplier audits where required.
• Oversee laboratory testing activities.
• Ensure testing programmes support product quality, customer requirements, and manufacturing needs.
• Review and interpret laboratory results.
• Manage development of testing standards and methodologies.
• Identify risks associated with raw materials and supplier performance.
• Escalate significant quality concerns to the Quality Lead and stakeholders.
• Lead containment and corrective action activities related to supplier and material issues.
• Support alignment between supplier capability, material quality, and manufacturing requirements collaboratively across department functions.
• Drive improvement initiatives focused on material consistency and supplier performance.
• Analyse supplier quality trends and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with customer requirements, internal standards, and applicable industry regulations.
• Support traceability and quality assurance across the supply chain.

• Strong understanding of textile and knitwear manufacturing processes.
• Understanding of yarn quality and material specifications.
• Experience managing material non-conformances.
• Experience analysing quality data and KPI trends.
• Strong report-writing and documentation skills.
• Ability to challenge suppliers professionally.
• Strong analytical thinking.
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Confidence communicating with internal and external stakeholders.

• Professional working proficiency in French and/or Italian.
• Ability to communicate effectively with international suppliers and customer technical teams.
• Experience with luxury fibres (cashmere, wool, silk).
• Supplier quality experience.
• Laboratory testing experience.
• Audit experience.
• Root cause analysis experience.
• Continuous improvement experience.

• Flexible working options (role dependent)
• 33 days annual leave (including public holidays)
• Early finish on Fridays
• Flexible benefits scheme (including Cycle to Work and gym discounts)
• Time Off in Lieu scheme
• Employer pension contribution
• Life assurance Scheme
• Health & wellbeing programme (including health cash plan)
• Ongoing training and development opportunities