Product Technologist Trainee

Full-time, 38 hours a week

Action is active in 15 countries, and we continue to grow. This growth also brings new opportunities within Product Technology. As a Product Technologist Trainee, you join an 18-month programme that takes you from a curious starter to a confident product quality professional. From our headquarters in Zwaagdijk, you learn how product technology safeguards our fast-growing assortment and how we work with buyers, sourcing offices and suppliers across the globe. You take on real tasks from day one, help improve how we bring compliant and high-quality products to our customers, and finish the traineeship with a clear next step in your career.

Your daily tasks

You will take part in an exciting Product Technologist traineeship with three rotations, each designed to give you broad exposure to the product technology role and the business. Your traineeship is structured in three phases of six months each:

Phase 1 – Foundation (Months 1–6)

• You will build your understanding of how Action sources, tests and brings products to market. You will get hands-on with our product categories, learn how our Quality Management System (QMS) works, and understand the quality and compliance standards our products must meet. Brief shadowing opportunities with the Buying, Sourcing and Sustainability teams will help you understand the end-to-end product lifecycle from the ground up.
• Get hands-on with products across categories to understand quality standards, safety requirements and testing processes.
• Learn how to navigate and update our Quality Management System (QMS) with accurate technical, legal, and testing information.
• Shadow Buyers and Sourcing colleagues to understand how products are selected, developed and brought to market.
• Build foundational knowledge of European and local product legislation applicable to our categories.

Phase 2 – Skilling up (Months 7–12)

• You will work alongside experienced Product Technologists to support compliance assessments, supplier interactions, and quality evaluations. You will deepen your understanding of how product technology acts as a guardian of quality and safety across our assortment.
• Support and shadow Product Technologists in supplier evaluations, Quality programs implementation (i.e.PLA)and follow up
• Assist with product assessments across categories such as Personal Care, Health
• Help maintain accurate category data and technical documentation across Action's systems.
• Learn how quality issues are identified, escalated, and resolved in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Execute the analysis of key quality KPIs—including customer complaint trends, damaged goods, and supplier performance—and lead to the execution and follow‑up of CAPAs and continuous improvement plans.

Phase 3 – Creating impact (Months 13–18)

• You will take ownership of small end-to-end deliverables and support product compliance and improvement projects. By the end of the traineeship, you will be prepared to step into a Product Technologist role.
• Take ownership of compliance checks or category quality initiatives such as internal user trials, managing tasks end to end.
• Participate in projects such as creation of product specification sheet, sustainability initiatives or supplier quality improvements.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of how we manage product data, testing workflows and documentation and manage the presentation to the key stallholders as the commercial team 
• Present findings and insights to the team and relevant stakeholders, building your communication and advisory skills.

Your team

You will become part of the Product Technology team, working within our Quality & Sustainability department at our International Headquarters. You will work closely with experienced Product Technologists and gain exposure to cross-functional stakeholders including Buying, Sourcing, and Sustainability teams; to better understand how great products reach our customers. During the traineeship, you will learn how Product Technologists act as trusted quality partners for the business and how they help protect both our customers and our brand.

From day one, you will have a dedicated manager and mentor to guide you. Your colleagues are eager to share their knowledge and help you grow into a confident professional. Curious about your new team? Your manager, mentor, and teammates cannot wait to support you during your traineeship.

What you offer

You have a genuine interest in product quality, compliance, and sustainability, and a strong passion for learning. You bring an analytical and detail-oriented mindset, which allows you to assess products, interpret technical data, and translate findings into clear recommendations. You are comfortable working in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment, where pragmatism, structure, and accuracy are key. You are curious about how products are made, communicate well with different stakeholders, and show a proactive, hands-on attitude.

Your background:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Excellent oral and written knowledge of English; additional languages are a distinct advantage.
• Bachelor's degree in technical fields related to FMCG.
• A background in product technology, quality management, chemistry, industrial design, consumer goods or similar fields is preferred.
• Interest in product safety, sustainability, retail and supply chain.

Necessary competencies:

• Learning agility: quickly learn from your projects and interactions to develop technical expertise and business understanding.
• Analytical and detail-oriented mindset: assess products and technical data carefully and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Quality and compliance focus: understand and apply product legislation, testing standards and quality requirements with accuracy.
• Communication and stakeholder management: build strong relationships with buyers, suppliers and internal teams, and ask the right questions to understand needs.
• Pragmatic and structured approach: create clarity and priorities in a dynamic environment, delivering within deadlines and guidelines.
• Curiosity and hands-on attitude: get stuck in with products, ask why things work the way they do, and proactively look for improvements.
• Sustainability awareness: understand the role product technology plays in ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility.
• Accuracy: ensure a high-quality contribution to the Product Technology team.

What we offer

From our headquarters in the Netherlands, you will have an impact across the whole of Europe. Action's growth means you can always take steps to develop as a professional, whether that means a certain position, an interesting product project, or new skills. And you can do all that in a culture where we truly embrace our shared values: customer focus, teamwork, simplicity, discipline, cost-consciousness and respect.

• A competitive salary (based on a 38-hour working week).
• 24 days holiday with the option to buy five additional days (based on 38 hours per week).
• 15% staff discount on your purchases at Action.
• Collective health insurance and travel allowance (Zwaagdijk is reachable from Amsterdam by car in just 30 minutes on uncongested roads).

Interested?

We are proud to be an inclusive employer, and we warmly invite anyone who recognises themselves in the vacancy to apply. Take action and respond to this vacancy now!

What comes next:

1. Response to your application within 14 days.
2. First conversation with a recruitment colleague.
3. Online assessment to get to know you better.
4. Second interview with the manager and Product Technologist.
5. Matching day (2nd of June – Save the date).
6. Welcome to Action.

Throughout the process, your recruiter is your permanent point of contact and is available to answer any questions you may have. We believe integrity is of great importance. A pre-employment screening is therefore part of the process for this vacancy.