In Short
As the Material Quality, Testing, and Color Lead for Apparel and Accessories, you will be responsible for establishing global quality standards, developing and scaling new processes, and managing multi-team contributions to ensure premium material quality, exceptional color achievability, and peak performance across the entire A&A product range. Your technical knowledge and analytical skills will enhance your cross-functional communication in quality, color, and systems discussions. The Color and Quality teams will rely on you to drive progress, exemplify technical expertise, and support their professional development. You will proactively deliver material quality and color insights, with a strong focus on detail-driven problem-solving and executing a product integrity strategy in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment. You will report to the Head of Materials for A&A and collaborate closely with Material Development, Product Quality, Material Sourcing, Product Compliance, and material vendors/product factories worldwide.
Your Mission
- Maintain complete ownership of the internal quality standards for Apparel and Accessories concerning materials, trims, and color.
- Oversee the implementation of updated standards and requirements for internal stakeholders and external partners (T2/T1/3rd party labs).
- Manage the Material Color Team responsible for the Lab Dipping process, driving the creation of new color processes, redistributing team workloads based on business priorities, and enforcing color guidelines with external partners.
- Serve as the point of contact for system creation, updates, and alignments, supporting the integration of quality, color, and related data within the broader product creation technology ecosystem.
- Ensure all prospective materials are tested promptly to support the end-to-end material approval process.
- Create, plan, and execute Tech Branding strategies in response to the needs dictated by Product Strategy and Product Management teams.
- Lead quality initiatives at the material level that result in significant and lasting improvements at the product level.
- Conduct regular meetings with Compliance, Returns, and Quality Teams to assess the integrity of past, present, and future products.
- Allocate and manage the necessary budget and resources for all development-round material, trim, and color testing.
- Drive the collection, interpretation, and communication of all material testing data (3rd party, T2, and Internal).
- Maximize information accessibility and optimize the translation of product range and material specifications into a seasonal testing plan.
- Partner with product creation teams, sourcing offices, and suppliers to identify and mitigate material quality risks before manufacturing.
- Collaborate with sourcing offices to support the resolution of bulk material quality issues.
- Act as an ambassador to standards organizations (ISO/ASTM/AATCC) to align our testing methodologies with international norms and ensure representation and influence within these communities.
Your Story
- Experience: You have 10+ years of experience in materials quality, materials development, or textile production.
- Technical Expertise: You possess extensive knowledge of textile fibers and production processes (including spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and finishing), along with a solid understanding of standard test methods for quality testing. Experience with trims and hard goods is a plus.
- Analytical Mindset: You can extract meaning and identify trends from large datasets, extrapolating patterns to determine the best course of action in pursuit of premium quality.
- Communication: You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, enabling you to collaborate with internal and external partners globally. You can effectively present complex information to audiences with minimal technical background.
- Organizational Skills: You are detail-oriented and capable of managing and executing multiple short-term and long-term projects simultaneously.
- Global Exposure: Experience with global material sourcing and development, including travel to key manufacturing hubs, trade fairs, and global sourcing offices, is essential.
Meet the Team
We’re responsible for creating innovative products for On. Our vital role is to meet the needs and demands of our runners and new customers. We research, design, develop, and rigorously test numerous ideas, both scientifically and aesthetically. Only products that pass our strict testing standards ever reach the market.
Apply online using the form below.
Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.