Position Overview
As the Material Quality, Testing, and Color Lead for Apparel and Accessories, you will take charge of establishing global quality standards, developing and scaling new processes, and coordinating contributions across multiple teams to ensure premium material quality, exceptional color achievability, and top-tier performance for the entire A&A product range. Your technical knowledge and analytical skills will enhance cross-functional communication during relevant quality, color, and systems discussions. The Color and Quality teams will rely on your expertise to drive progress, exemplify technical proficiency, and support their professional development. You will proactively deliver material quality and color insights while demonstrating a commitment to detail-driven problem-solving and steering the product integrity strategy in a fast-paced, dynamic 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 globally.
Your Mission
- Maintain complete ownership of 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 procedures, redistributing team workloads based on business priorities, and enforcing Color guidelines among external partners.
- Serve as the main point of contact for system creation, updates, and alignment to support the integration of quality, color, and related data within the broader product creation technology ecosystem.
- Ensure all prospective materials are tested in a timely manner to support the end-to-end material approval process.
- Create, plan, and execute Tech Branding strategies in response to the business needs as dictated by Product Strategy/Product Management teams.
- Lead quality initiatives from the material level that generate significant and lasting improvements at the product level.
- Conduct regular interactions with Compliance, Returns, and Quality Teams to assess the integrity of past, present, and future products.
- Allocate and manage the essential budget and resources required 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 availability and enhance 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 prior to manufacturing.
- Collaborate with sourcing offices to aid in 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 over 10 years of expertise in materials quality, materials development, or textile production.
- Technical Expertise: You possess extensive knowledge of textile fibers, production processes (including spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and finishing), and a solid understanding of standard test methods for quality testing. Experience with trims and hard goods is a plus.
- Analytical Mindset: You excel at interpreting large datasets to extract meaningful insights and identify patterns that guide decisions aimed at achieving premium quality.
- Communication: Your exceptional verbal and written communication skills enable effective collaboration with internal and external partners globally, and you can present complex information to diverse audiences.
- Organizational Skills: You are detail-oriented, with the capability to manage and execute 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.
Join Us
We are responsible for creating innovative products for On, with a vital mission to meet the needs and demands of our runners and new customers. We research, design, develop, and scientifically test a multitude of ideas to ensure excellence. Only products that meet our rigorous testing standards will reach the market.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.