Quality Control Director at Huda Beauty · Dubai

Who We Are: At Huda Beauty, our Vision is to lead in creating a democratized beauty industry where power is given back to people to define, create, and enjoy beauty for themselves! Launched by award-winning beauty powerhouse Huda Kattan in 2013, Huda Beauty is one of the world’s fastest growing beauty brands. As a company, we are fueled by purpose and not profit, this allows us to approach things differently so that we can create products, content, and a community like no other. A lot has changed since our launch in 2013, but something that will forever remain at the core of Huda Beauty is our focus on business excellence and our unwavering passion for kindness!

Summary: The Director of Quality leads the End-to-End Quality pole of Product Operations. This role owns the quality system and gives an independent assessment of quality risk across the product lifecycle, from supplier and contract manufacturer qualification and homologation to release, post-launch surveillance and CAPA. It turns quality data into prevention, lower COPQ and stronger supplier accountability, to protect consumers and the Huda Beauty brand.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Quality Strategy & Leadership

• Define and own the end-to-end quality strategy, standards and quality management system.
• Give an independent view of quality risk to the VP, Product Operations and the Newness Committee.
• Lead the Quality pole through strong leads with clear decision rights.
• Size the team from real workload and portfolio risk.

Development Quality & Homologation

• Confirm each project's risk score and development pathway at the brief.
• Define critical quality attributes, acceptance criteria and test strategy with Packaging and Product Development.
• Independently co-sign pilot homologation and final homologation (formula and pack).
• Qualify suppliers and contract manufacturers for quality capability before launch.

Supplier, Production & Release Quality

• Set quality agreements, AQL and control plans with suppliers, contract manufacturers and 3PL.
• Ensure contract manufacturers operate to cosmetic GMP (ISO 22716).
• Own incoming, in-process and finished goods controls, and product release.
• Hold product that does not meet release criteria.
• Govern deviations, concessions and change control, with Packaging.
• Run supplier audits and quality scorecards, and feed Procurement business reviews.

Post-Launch, CAPA & Crisis Management

• Monitor complaints, reviews, retailer feedback and quality trends.
• Own CAPA governance, from root cause to evidence of closure.
• Lead the Crisis Cell from first alert to closed corrective action, with Legal.
• Separate design-origin from supply-origin issues; drive supplier accountability and recovery with Procurement, Legal and Finance.
• Track COPQ with Finance and target the largest sources of loss.

Quality Records & Learning Loop

• Keep a project quality record of each step, deviation and action, ready to extract.
• Drive digital quality tools and data, linked to internal tools.
• Feed lessons learned into specifications, design rules and Kaizen priorities.

Leadership and Coaching

• Lead, coach and develop quality managers, specialists and technologists.
• Build quality capability across Product Operations, suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Act as a role model for independent, fact-based judgment.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Strategic Exposure

• Partner with Packaging, Product Development, Regulatory, Procurement, Supply Chain, Legal, Finance and consumer care teams.

• Support cosmetic and packaging regulatory conformity, including PPWR, with Regulatory.

• Present quality performance, risks and decisions needed to leadership.

• Escalate unresolved critical quality risks through the agreed governance route.

• Proven experience running quality for a brand with outsourced manufacturing (contract manufacturers and component suppliers).

• Deep knowledge of cosmetic GMP (ISO 22716), quality management systems (ISO 9001), AQL sampling and release.

• Solid understanding of both formula and packaging quality, including compatibility and functional testing.

• Track record in supplier audits, qualification, CAPA and crisis or recall management.

• Experience building a quality function and leading managers.

• Data-driven: COPQ, quality KPIs and statistical tools.

• Awareness of cosmetic and packaging regulations in key markets (EU, US, GCC), in partnership with Regulatory.

• Track record of independent, fact-based judgment, firm under pressure and constructive with partners.

• 12+ years in quality, including leadership roles in beauty, personal care or adjacent regulated consumer goods.

• Bachelor's/Master's in Chemistry, Engineering, Pharmacy or a related science.

• Monthly “Self Love Days” – at company discretion

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision coverage for employee plus dependents

• Monthly coaching sessions with our in-house Success Coach

• Employee discounts on all Huda Beauty products

• Quarterly product gifting

Huda Beauty is committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and upholding an equal employment workplace that is free from discrimination. We hire stellar individuals regardless of their race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical conditions, disability, or veteran status. If you need reasonable accommodations at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.