Materials Science & Innovation Technician Apprentice

Complete the requirements of the relevant apprenticeship standard, alongside participation in Pentland Brands’ internal apprenticeship programme

Support research into existing, emerging, and early-stage materials technologies relevant to sports and outdoor products

Investigate adjacent industry solutions and assess potential relevance to Pentland Brands’ product needs

Assist in the evaluation of woven, knitted, non-woven, synthetic, bio-based, and bio-polymer materials

Manage physical and digital materials libraries, including cataloguing, archiving, and record maintenance

Create structured material comparison matrices covering performance, sustainability, and technical criteria

Support in-house and external laboratory testing to assess material performance and suitability

Assist materials specialists with academic and technical literature reviews

Liaise, under supervision, with mills, tier-2 suppliers, and material originators to gather technical and sustainability data

Contribute to sustainability assessments in collaboration with responsible business and sustainability teams

Support clear communication of materials research and insights to internal stakeholders

Maintain accurate documentation and follow materials handling best practice

Build understanding of how innovation, sustainability, and performance trade-offs are balanced commercially

Contribute to presentations, summaries, and updates for materials and R&D forums

Commitment to completing a nationally recognised apprenticeship standard and Pentland Brands’ internal apprenticeship programme

A strong interest in materials science, textiles, sustainability, or product innovation

Academic or practical exposure to science, engineering, or materials-related subjects