Job Title: Technical & Innovation Manager

Department: Technical
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

About us
AW Hainsworth is a historic and prestigious textile manufacturer, weaving iconic fabrics for the Royal Household, top designers such as Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, as well as stage and screen productions including Harry Potter and Thor’s Cape. Since 1783, we have created textiles that celebrate Great Britain, from the scarlet of the Royal Guards to the ceremonial uniforms of the Royal Family.

We produce a wide range of woollen textile products—including blankets, uniforms, as well as specialist PPE and Aviation fabrics—for a global clientele. We pride ourselves on a supportive, team-focused working environment. Our focus is on producing bespoke, technically advanced woven textiles, and our brand is known for its high-quality products and exceptional technical expertise.

The Role
We are seeking a highly skilled Technical Product Manager to join our Technical team at AW Hainsworth. This is a key role responsible for carrying out essential technical tasks, acting as an internal technical consultant across the business, and leading innovation, New and Existing Product Development (NPD / EPD), and Research & Development (R&D) activities.

The successful candidate will be an internal expert on fibre, yarn and fabric performance, supporting process optimisation, technical problem solving and product improvement. They will also provide external-facing technical support to customers and represent the business at trade shows.

The role involves close collaboration with the product compliance, laboratory, quality, sales, marketing and production teams. The postholder must be able to work autonomously, manage multiple priorities and follow established procedures that are regularly audited.

Working hours
Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week. Salary and bonus are competitive and dependent on experience.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

We are looking for someone with strong technical textile knowledge, an analytical mindset and the ability to lead technical and project work independently. Essential requirements include:

• Good understanding of all stages of fabric manufacturing and processing, including textile machinery
• Strong technical knowledge of fibres, yarns and textiles
• Good general knowledge of textile testing, product performance requirements and relevant standards and legislation
• Ability to create manufacturing specifications (e.g., weaving and finishing)
• Experience managing technical tasks and supporting process / continuous improvements
• Ability to define and lead technical or project-based work
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills
• Strong attention to detail and methodical approach
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple tasks
• Computer literate in excel, PowerPoint and project management tools
• Commitment to following health and safety regulations
• Strong Data Analysis Skills

Desirable (not essential):

• Experience working with academic or research partners
• Understanding of NPD, EPD, and R&D project processes
• Familiarity with characterisation methods and performance evaluation
• Experience supporting audits or working to auditable processes
• Knowledge of chemical processes used in textile manufacture
• Awareness of sustainability challenges and opportunities within the textile sector
• Experience providing technical input to customer queries or at trade shows

Benefits of Working at AW Hainsworth

• Competitive holiday allowance
• Performance-related bonus
• Simply Health cash plan (including dental, optical, physiotherapy etc.)
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Salary sacrifice benefits (e.g., Metro Cards)
• Matched pension scheme
• Internal discounted blanket sales
• Commitment to training, development and investing in people

Health and Wellbeing Benefits

• Onsite mental health counselling and wellbeing support
• Free fruit delivered weekly
• Employee engagement calendar
• Employee Forum
• Annual flu jabs

AW Hainsworth is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Work Location: In person

Send your CV and cover letter detailing why you are interested in this role to hr@awhainsworth.co.uk.