Product Specialist

Job ID:41979
Location:LRQA - Dhaka - House 36, 
Position Category:Quality Assurance
Position Type:Employee Regular

Role Purpose:

As part of a fully dedicated multi-national team of Product Specialists located in various regions throughout Asia for one of the largest North American Retailers, you will be responsible to support the Production, Sourcing and Quality Assurance teams and for ensuring vendors/factories are manufacturing as per our client’s compliance requirements.

Scope and Objectives:

The Product Specialist will be responsible for supporting the Sourcing, Production and Quality Assurance teams to ensure client policies and procedures have been implemented to maintain an effective quality environment and to produce product as per client requirements.  This includes in-country quality assurance activities, production approvals, and activities related to on-time production, as well as ensuring the Vendor/Factories are completing the required production as planned at the approved facility. This will take place in the designated countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and India.

The Product Specialist will be managing a set of factories in a region and must have a high degree of integrity and a thorough comprehensive knowledge of production processes and quality standards for Apparel, Hardline General Merchandise, and/or Food Products.

Key Accountabilities / Activities:

1. Tracking:

• Responsible for reviewing and validating Work in Progress (WIP) with vendor and factory to meet on-time delivery/performance
• Closely monitor and report vendor on-time performance
• Responsible for tracking and recording the results of final AQL audits and various status reports

2. QC:

• Accountable for conducting quality evaluations during production and perform random shadow audits during final random AQL inspection
•  Making sure final random inspections are performed by certified factory QA personnel as per clients QA requirements

3. Approvals:

• Responsible for quality evaluations of bulk fabric submission according to client’s standards
• Evaluate and provide Color/Shade Band Approvals in collaboration with vendor/ suppliers
• Responsible for the evaluation and Approval of Top of Production (TOP) samples, on time and in good condition and ensuring clients standards are met to assure customer satisfaction

4. On-Site at Factory:

• Effectively collaborate with the manufacturing vendor and factory to ensure on time production and quality requirements are achieved
• Assuring clients products are produced in approved factories
• Ensuring factory compliance is up to date in relation to production, quality and adherence to health and safety considerations during the end to end manufacturing process
• Assuring clients products are produced in approved factories
• Collaborate with factory QA teams to maintain and support vendor owned quality systems to achieve brand quality standards
• Attend pre-production meetings with vendor/factory to ensure client’s requirements are fulfilled, conduct product and production risk assessments, identify potential quality issues and provide recommended solutions with no or minimal impact on quality, cost and/or deliveries
• Collaborate with vendor/factory to resolve ongoing production and quality issues as per client required standards
• Review Proto/Fit/PP sample to ensure all tech pack requirements, BOM and fit comments are followed and executed correctly per timeline
• Check factory in-house quality procedure and to provide training to factory/vendor personnel for sustainable development which will ensure compliant product for clients
• Support the Production, Sourcing and Quality teams by developing efficient process flows to help trouble shoot problems

5. Communication:

• Accountable for the escalation of any and all production and or quality issues
• Prepare and communicate summary reports based on WIPs to determine on time performance status.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years factory root cause and management system audit, training development experience
• Degree in any discipline with 3-5 years’ experience in Quality Control/ Compliance in a similar industry or in a third-party QC agency and/or in social or environmental sciences
• Experienced in conducting AQL Audits and conducting final random inspections
• Sound knowledge on production, quality, development / sample, pattern, cutting, construction and manufacturing process of apparel industry.
• Strong cross-functional communication and working knowledge of all aspects of product development and production life cycle
• Exceptional eye for technical detail to consistently ensure the correct documentation is used and followed
• Applied technical knowledge of fabrics, trims, accessories, method and machineries
• Flexible approach to be able to adjust to the constantly changing needs of the business
• Thorough understanding of the manufacturing process requirements for Apparel, Hardline General Merchandise, or Food Products based on the set of factories and per region and country
• Experience conducting final random inspection in factories, specifically in the apparel industry
• Experience in working in production environments and with apparel brands.
• Demonstrated collaboration skills and ability to work well within a multicultural remote team, diplomatic and adept at conflict resolution
• Ability to engage effectively and communicate at different levels with Vendor/Factories, third party QC and Client internal stakeholders
• Strong understanding of responsible sourcing systems, processed used by global brands and retailers to pre-qualify & improve suppliers
• Good language ability: local language in the given country/region and excellent spoken and written English
• Ability to frequently travel based on the set of factories allocated to the position

Diversity and Inclusion at LRQA:

We are on a mission to be the place where we all want to work and we are passionate about embracing different perspectives because we understand the value this brings to our business, our clients and each other. We are all about creating a safer and more sustainable future and our inclusive culture is right at the heart of our business.

Together our employees make our communities better and we want you to be part of our diverse team!

LRQA is a leading global assurance provider.  The integrity and expertise we bring to our partnership with clients support their journey to a safer, more secure and more sustainable future. (Group entities).

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