Quality Assurance Specialist

Job description

**IN A NUTSHELL…** Since we launched with six wallets over 15 years ago, we now release around 50 new products a year, and the complexity of getting those products right has grown with us. Our Production team is at the heart of that work, and we're looking for a Quality Assurance Lead who sweats the details, so our customers never have to. Reporting to our Production and Quality Assurance Manager, you'll own our quality control and assurance process end-to-end. You'll contribute to building and maintaining the quality frameworks that underpin how we work — owning defined areas of the process independently, and helping calibrate how we make quality decisions across the business. That also means being the main point of contact for all supplier quality matters, overseeing inspections from pre-production through to pre-shipment release, managing NCRs and corrective action plans through to resolution, and coordinating third-party inspections. You'll oversee factory quality staff and remote QA at overseas manufacturer sites, manage quality processes and documentation within our system. This isn't a flag-and-move-on role. You'll dig into the production & quality handbook, supplier data and factory processes, getting to the bottom of issues, not just the surface of them. You'll track quality KPIs, identify trends, and bring forward improvement proposals. You'll also have real input into building and maintaining the quality management systems that underpin everything we do. If you bring a sharp eye for detail, solid technical grounding in quality assurance, experience leading supplier relationships, and a genuine itch for continuous improvement - we'd love to hear from you. **YOU COULD BE THE ONE IF YOU HAVE…** - 3+ years of experience in a quality control or quality assurance role, ideally in soft goods, accessories; with a track record of managing quality across multiple concurrent product lines - Experience working with overseas manufacturers and managing remote QA staff on-site, including maintaining quality standards across different time zones and working environments - Hands-on experience with pre-production and bulk sample approval processes, including interpreting and applying QC manuals, spec sheets, and construction standards to assess conformance - A solid technical understanding of quality control methodologies (e.g. AQL sampling, NCR management, root cause analysis, corrective action processes), relevant industry standards, and how they apply across different manufacturing environments - Experience producing quality reporting, including identifying cross-category trends and translating data into clear recommendations - Experience managing supplier quality relationships directly, conducting or coordinating supplier quality audits, managing non-conformance reports, and driving corrective actions through to resolution - Familiarity with quality management systems, including maintaining accurate quality documentation and data - Experience coordinating or overseeing third-party inspections and pre-shipment quality releases - Strong skills in Excel or Google Sheets, including the ability to track KPIs, analyse quality metrics, and present findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders - Experience leading or mentoring others, with the ability to delegate effectively and develop capability in a small team - Exceptional attention to detail and time management; able to juggle multiple inspections, deadlines and supplier conversations without things slipping - Clear, confident communication - comfortable navigating difficult conversations with suppliers and translating technical findings into actionable next steps. **IF YOU WERE HERE LAST MONTH, HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE…** - Tracked quality KPIs for the month, identified a trend in a particular product category, and pulled together the quarterly quality report — summarising findings and framing recommendations clearly - Worked with our product developer to flag potential quality risks in a new product brief, and updated a process in our quality system to make that easier to catch in future - Reviewed and approved pre-shipment quality releases across several active production runs, collaborating with the production and product development teams to sign off final quality assessments - Received an NCR from a supplier, investigated the root cause, issued a corrective action plan, and tracked it through to resolution, escalating to your manager with a clear recommended approach where the issue required broader sign-off - Conducted a supplier quality assessment, reviewing factory quality staff performance and adherence to our standards on-site - Coordinated third-party inspections across upcoming bulk production, briefing inspectors and reviewing their reports against our Production & Quality Handbook - Noticed a recurring webbing issue across return reports, traced it back to a specific production run, and initiated a supplier discussion with supporting data - Reviewed the upcoming production schedule with your team member, prioritised QC checks by risk and launch timeline, and delegated accordingly - Maintained and updated quality documentation to ensure accuracy across the product lifecycle. **LOCATION AND HOURS** Full-time, based in our Collingwood office. Start date: We're ready when you are. **WHY WORK FOR BELLROY?** At Bellroy, it takes a wonderfully diverse crew to make everything tick. We’re a close-knit group of thinkers and makers from over 25 different countries, each contributing unique skills to achieve our shared vision. We believe that embracing diverse backgrounds and perspectives is key to staying agile and resilient. So, even if your experience isn’t an exact match, but you feel you have something special to contribute, we’d love to hear from you. Bellroy is committed to making our hiring process accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations at any stage—whether it's applying, interviewing, completing pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process—please contact us at . Include your full name, the best way to reach you, and the type of accommodation you need to support you throughout the application process. We’re here to help and ensure you have the best possible experience. Bellroy’s mission is to inspire better ways to carry; use business as a force for good; and help the world – and our crew – flourish. We make great carry products that delight people in their everyday lives, while constantly innovating to improve the sustainability of our materials. We donate a portion of our revenue to some of the world’s most effective charities and are a Certified B Corporation™. We have carefully built our culture on radical effectiveness. Our credo is "smart people with good intentions who get shit done" (yes, really).