Production Assistant/Creative Studio Technician (Part-Time or Full-Time or Zero hours)
Purpose
The purpose of this role is to produce and fulfil our fabric craft kits and fabric orders, in an efficient and timely way. The post-holder will alternate between two similar roles – Production Assistant, which is responsible for preparing, cutting and packing fabrics and other items into high volumes of kits; and Creative Studio Technician (CST), which is responsible for selecting, cutting, packing and posting individual orders (retail and trade). They will need to work within strict safety standards and to tight deadlines.
The shape of the role
Several options are available for how this role could be worked, which will be agreed in negotiation with the post-holder and in alignment with the business’s demands.
Time commitment: ESSENTIAL availability to work on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Minimum availability of three 7.5-hour days, maximum of five 7.5-hour days. There is also a possibility of working on a zero hours, flexible basis. Please enquire to recruitment@alicecaroline.co.uk
Permanency: 6-month contract with potential to be permanent.
Place of work: Darkes Barn, Conderton, GL20 7PP.
Usual operating hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm (core 9.30am to 3pm).
Pay and Benefits

• £12.14 per hour (£23,673 equivalent full-time salary per annum).
• 25 days’ Annual Leave per annum plus UK bank holidays, pro rata to hours worked. There is a reasonable limit to how much leave that can be taken during school holidays.
• Auto-enrolment pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Flexitime system.
• Beautiful rural Cotswolds location.
• Car parking on site.
• Staff discount.

Key Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities (Production role):

• Producing fabric craft kits in bulk for specific wholesale orders and to re-stock our trade department and retail studio
• Calculating quantities of fabrics and notions necessary to produce orders.
• Cutting fabrics and other materials using scissors, electric rotary cutters and a laser cutting machine; pressing fabrics when needed.
• Helping to select fabrics for use in craft kits, according to agreed aesthetic criteria and/or the customer’s requirements for specific themes or colourways.
• Printing and folding of packaging, instructions, and patterns to correct scale on appropriate paper.
• Arranging and packing individual kits products so that they are well-presented for onward sale, and securely packing goods in boxes.

Primary responsibilities (CST role)

• Cut, fold and pack fabric and other products, to fulfil retail or trade customer orders.
• On a computer, process the outgoing post ready for collection.
• Update and use the company’s fabric stock system (an Excel spreadsheet).
• Regularly communicating with colleagues to ensure order fulfilment processes run efficiently.
• Serving customers who visit the studio, helping them to choose fabrics, and taking payment.
• Keep studio and stock areas tidy and functioning smoothly.

Occasional responsibilities:

• Liaising with courier companies and customers’ warehousing facilities to book order collections.
• Suggesting and implementing improvements to efficiency, working with others to improve workflows across the business.
• Identifying and resolving problems in the manufacturing and fulfilment process.
• Printing and checking new retail orders.
• Ordering, checking and receiving new stock or consumables.
• Supporting the stocktaking process by counting, weighing or measuring products and stock, and inputting accurate records.
• Helping in the general smooth running of the site
• Other tasks as delegated by management, commensurate with the skills, training, and level of responsibility of the role.

Person criteria: Qualifications and experience required
Essential criteria

• Unphased by repetitive manual processing tasks.
• Proven ability to work independently, quickly and accurately, with excellent attention to detail.
• A minimum of five GCSEs grade 4 (C) or above, including Maths and English, or equivalent qualifications.
• Able to lift and move heavy bulky items and be on your feet for extended periods of time.
• Good working knowledge of office software, e.g.: Excel, Teams, web browsers and Outlook.
• Able to manage multiple priorities and deliver tasks under pressure.
• Strong communication skills.
• Adaptability to deal with problems calmly and resourcefully.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working within an order fulfilment or production environment.
• Fabric-cutting skills.
• Experience working with fabrics.
• Living locally (approx. 40 mins travel time, maximum) and able to offer extra working hours if requested.

Company Overview
Our mission is to get more people to love sewing, because we believe in joy in the making!
We are an on-line retailer of fabrics, mainly to quilters, crafters and dressmakers. We sell a huge range of Liberty cottons, pre-cut fabrics, sewing kits and patterns. We have recently also branched out into on-line sewing tutorials and are building a strong community of sewing fans. In addition, we make and sell Liberty fabric lifestyle accessories, both to trade and public customers. We are a global company with a large and creative customer base. Our websites www.alicecaroline.com and www.alicecarolinetrade.com are go-to destinations for Liberty lovers.
The Alice Caroline team enjoys working together to help our customers produce creative sewing projects they can be proud of. This position provides a chance to thrive within a dynamic yet comfortable environment.
Our Company’s values are:

• Being friendly, helpful and enthusiastic
• Making it easier for customers to get what they need
• Fair, flexible and supportive employment practices

How to apply
Please follow these steps to apply:
1. Tailor your CV to the job specification. Remember, long CVs (more than two relevant A4 sides) are not appealing to the person doing the paper-sift!
2. Send us a cover email explaining what makes you ideal for the role, with your CV.
3. If you live more than 40 minutes from our location, kindly provide details on how you plan to manage this distance and ensure it doesn’t hinder your ability to work effectively.
4. Send your CV and email to recruitment@alicecaroline.co.uk by 9am on Monday 4 November 2024.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Temp to perm, Zero hours contract
Pay: £12.14 per hour
Expected hours: 22.5 – 37.5 per week
Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Flexitime
• Monday to Friday

Application question(s):

• Are you physically able to shift heavy fabric stock, use a stepladder to reach high shelves, and be on your feet working for long periods of time?
• Would you be available to work Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from mid-November 2024?

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 02/09/2024
Expected start date: 18/11/2024