Quality Assurance Manager at Solo Brands in Location not listed

Quality Assurance Manager

Key Responsibilities

Quality Reporting & Factory Audits

• Conduct weekly virtual meetings with vendors to review in-process quality reports and ensure adherence to the AQL 1.5 requirement
• Conduct monthly virtual audit meetings at specified factories on targeted POs, with particular emphasis on:
• Key programs and strategic style categories
• New silhouettes entering production for the first time
• New fabrications and material blends
• Large fashion programs with high volume or visibility
• Track and trend quality data across vendors and factories to identify recurring issues and drive corrective action plans
• Maintain clear documentation and reporting cadence so quality performance is visible to Sourcing, Technical Design, and leadership

Garment Testing & Safety Compliance

• Partner closely with Sourcing and Technical Design to execute garment testing protocols across all product categories
• Conduct kids' safety testing prior to production to ensure compliance with applicable safety regulations and standards
• Ensure all garments meet Chubbies' internal quality benchmarks as well as external safety and regulatory requirements
• Establish and update testing protocols for new products, materials, and constructions as the product line evolves
• Partner with SGS (or other accredited testing labs) to define appropriate testing requirements, scope test plans, and interpret results
• Stay current on testing standards, safety regulations, and industry best practices, updating internal protocols as needed

Vendor & Packing Compliance

• Partner with the vendor base to ensure packing compliance, including labeling, folding, poly-bagging, and carton specifications
• Conduct QA checks on packed goods prior to shipment to confirm compliance with brand and retail partner requirements
• Serve as a key point of contact for vendors on quality-related questions, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives

Retail & Wholesale QA

• Support quality assurance efforts for products distributed through retail and wholesale channels, ensuring consistency with eComm quality standards
• Partner with retail/wholesale account teams to understand and comply with any retailer-specific quality, labeling, or packaging requirements (e.g., chargebacks avoidance, routing guide compliance)
• Monitor and address quality issues surfaced through retail partner feedback, store-level returns, or wholesale account complaints
• Help ensure a consistent customer experience and brand quality standard across all sales channels, direct-to-consumer, wholesale, Amazon, retail.

Returns Management

• Establish implement and monito processes in partnership with the third-party return vendor or 3PL facility.
• Review return reasons and trends to identify quick action response to all fit issues and create action plans that can be feed back into sourcing and design decisions
• Partner with Customer Experience teams as needed to identify trends that can be quickly resolved to maintain high level customer satisfaction.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the primary quality liaison between Sourcing, Technical Design, vendors, and testing labs
• Provide metrics against establish objectives to leadership on quality performance, risks, and improvement initiatives
• Support new product launches by ensuring quality and testing milestones are met on schedule

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, ideally within apparel, softlines, or consumer products
• 3-4 years of experience in a manufacturing environment, with direct exposure to factory operations and production processes
• Strong, hands-on experience with garment testing methodologies and standards
• Deep understanding of garment quality construction, materials, and common defect categories
• Experience with compliance standards and protocols, including children's product safety testing
• Experience working with third-party testing labs (e.g., SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) strongly preferred
• Prior experience supporting both eCommerce and retail/wholesale quality programs is a plus
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Comfortable managing multiple vendors, factories, and timelines simultaneously

Key Attributes

• Strong communicator, comfortable leading virtual meetings with international vendors and factories
• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify trends and root causes from quality data
• Proactive problem-solver who can balance speed-to-market with quality standards
• Collaborative and cross-functional, able to build strong working relationships with Sourcing, Technical Design, and vendor partners
• Passion for product quality and the customer experience, aligned with the Chubbies brand voice and culture