Asia Quality Control / Quality Assurance Lead

PST

ASAP

We are seeking a Quality Assurance & Control Lead (Intimate Apparel & Apparel) to evaluate and rebuild our global QC framework. External quality control represents significant spend with unproven impact; this role begins with an honest, data-driven assessment and evolves into full ownership of a prevention-first quality model. The right candidate will confidently eliminate redundant activities, pinpoint where defect risks originate, and establish clear standards from tier-2 suppliers through factory production.

Key responsibilities: Assessment & cost optimization • Audit third-party QC coverage, spend, and data to eliminate non-value-add inspections and blind spots. • Quantify the total cost of quality (fees, rework, returns) to support restructuring, re-tendering, or bringing QC in-house.

Standards, testing & upstream control • Set AQL levels, defect tiers, decision rights, and intimate-apparel standards (underwire, seams, cup symmetry). • Move controls upstream via mill-level fabric inspection, trim testing, performance checks, and chemical compliance (RSL).

Factory partnership & governance • Collaborate with vendors in Asia to fix execution gaps, track scorecards, and enforce corrective actions (CAPAs). • Hold third-party inspection agencies to strict SLAs and partner with Production to resolve root causes.

Reporting & feedback loop • Deliver dashboards tracking defect trends, pass rates, rework costs, and overall quality spend. • Feed quality findings back to Development and Production to prevent repeat issues in future seasons.

How success is measured: • Lower defect, return, and customer complaint rates. • Higher proportion of defects caught upstream before garment assembly. • Reduced total cost of quality as a percentage of spend. • Fast closure and low recurrence rate of CAPAs.

• 7–10+ years in quality control or quality assurance in intimates, apparel, soft goods, or consumer products including ownership of standards and process, with experience working with international factories and managing third-party inspection providers.

• Direct experience across China, Vietnam, and Indonesia; experience insourcing or restructuring a QC function or re-tendering an inspection contract; formal quality training or certification such as Six Sigma or ISO 9001; working knowledge of RSL requirements, OEKO-TEX standards, and restricted substances testing; and experience setting quality standards specifically for intimate apparel.

• Inspection and QMS platforms such as QIMA, Excel, Sheets, BI tooling for defect analysis, PLM and ERP, and third-party lab and inspection reporting.