Out 'n' About
Head of Product & Engineering
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Role summary
Job title: Head of Product & Engineering
Reports to: CEO
Location: Bedford, UK (hybrid)
Working pattern: At least 3 days a week in the Bedford office, with the option to work from home up to 2 days a week
Contract: Full time, permanent
Travel: Regular overseas travel to factories and trade shows
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience
About Out 'n' About
Out 'n' About is a UK-designed pushchair brand for families who love getting outdoors. Our all-terrain buggies, led by our flagship Nipper, are built for parks, trails, beaches and everyday life, and are trusted by a loyal community of parents.
We're a growing business based in Bedford, with plans to expand into new international markets.
The role
This is a pivotal leadership role. You'll own everything we make, from the first sketch to the finished product arriving in our warehouse.
You'll lead product design and development, manage our factory partners through production, and make sure every product reflects our brand and meets the testing and safety standards that parents and retailers rely on. Reporting directly to the CEO, you'll help shape the product roadmap and play a central role in the company's growth.
In your first 12 months, success looks like:
- A clear, costed product roadmap agreed with the CEO
- Strong, well-managed factory relationships, with production delivered on time, on cost and to specification
- Every product fully tested and compliant for the markets we sell in, with documentation ready for retailers and distributors
- A robust quality process that reduces defects and returns
Key responsibilities
Product strategy and brand
- Build and own the product roadmap with the CEO, aligned to our brand strategy and commercial plans
- Make sure every product, colourway and accessory is true to the Out 'n' About brand: rugged, practical and made for outdoor family life
- Use customer feedback, returns data, retailer input and competitor insight to decide what we make next
Design and development
- Lead new product development from concept through prototyping, sampling and sign-off
- Write clear product specifications and technical packs, and manage bills of materials
- Manage external designers, engineers and specialist suppliers where needed
- Improve existing products to raise quality, reduce cost and fix recurring customer issues
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Sourcing and factory management
- Be the main point of contact for our manufacturing partners
- Manage production from purchase order to shipment: timelines, pre-production samples, quality checks and approvals
- Negotiate costs, minimum order quantities and lead times to protect margin
- Find and assess new suppliers and components, including factory audits
- Visit factories regularly to build relationships and oversee quality
Testing, safety and compliance
- Make sure every product meets the safety standards for each market we sell in, including BS EN 1888 for pushchairs in the UK and EU, AS/NZS 2088 for Australia, and ASTM F833 (16 CFR Part 1227) for the USA
- Manage testing with accredited labs and keep test reports and certificates up to date
- For the USA, manage third-party testing at CPSC-accepted labs, CPSIA requirements (including lead and phthalate limits), Children's Product Certificates and product tracking labels
- Own product compliance, including labelling, instructions, materials and chemical requirements
- Run quality control processes and lead investigations into product faults, complaints and any recalls
- Provide retailers and distributors with the technical and compliance documents they need
Leadership
- Work closely with the CEO, customer care, marketing, sales and operations teams
- Manage the product budget and report progress against plan
- Build and lead the product function as the business grows
About you
Core skills: industrial design and hands-on engineering
This is a foundation of the role. You'll be a natural maker and fixer: someone who can look at a bike, take it apart, understand how the mechanics work, and put it back together better. You'll bring that same instinct to every pushchair we design.
- Strong industrial design knowledge, with a formal qualification or equivalent professional experience
- A practical, hands-on aptitude for fixing, mending and engineering things yourself
- The ability to strip down a product, understand how its parts work together and diagnose why something fails
- A good understanding of mechanisms such as wheels, bearings, suspension, brakes, folding frames and locking systems
- A working knowledge of materials and manufacturing methods, such as aluminium tubing, plastics, fabrics and fixings
- Comfortable working in a workshop, building and modifying prototypes, and testing products hands-on
- Able to turn what you learn from hands-on work into clear design improvements and specifications for factories
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Essential
- At least 8 years' experience in product development, design or sourcing for consumer products, including at least 3 years in a senior or leadership role
- A proven track record of taking products from concept to mass production
- Direct experience managing overseas factories, ideally in Asia, including negotiation, quality control and production planning
- Solid knowledge of product safety testing, certification and compliance
- Strong commercial awareness, with experience managing product costs, margins and budgets
- Excellent organisation and communication skills, and comfortable working with a small, hands-on team
- Willing to travel internationally several times a year
- The right to work in the UK
Desirable
- Experience in the juvenile products market, such as pushchairs, car seats or nursery products
- Working knowledge of BS EN 1888, ASTM F833 and other international pushchair standards
- A degree or background in mechanical engineering
- Experience of launching products into new international markets
- Experience in outdoor, cycling or sports equipment
What we offer
- A senior role with real influence over the future of a well-loved brand
- Hybrid working, with up to 2 days a week from home
- A competitive salary, depending on experience
- The chance to shape our products as we grow into new markets
How to apply
Send your CV and a supporting letter to people@outnabout.com.
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