Serving the needs of all families with young children, Carter’s Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip*Hop and Little Planet brands. Meaningful work, constant learning, genuine people, and a community guided by core values that promote inclusion and innovation is in everything we do. There are many reasons to build your career at Carter’s.
Skip Hop, the maker of must-haves made better, is seeking a Senior Director of Product Quality and Safety to guide the development of innovative, functional, playful, and award-winning baby gear.
How You’ll Make an Impact:
As the Senior Director of Product Quality and Safety, you will manage product safety, standards, and testing across multiple categories, including baby gear, apparel and toys. This role is responsible for directing high and consistent quality standards, relationship management with accredited labs for testing, proactively adapting to business needs, and making recommendations to executive leadership.
Specifically, as the Senior Director of Product Quality and Safety, you will be responsible for:
Quality Assurance, Safety & Compliance Leadership (35%)
• Act as the strategic vision guide for the creation of industry-leading safety and quality standards
• Leads the charge in developing, recruiting, and mentoring top-notch QA teams in both New York and China, ensuring the delivery and execution of immaculate quality standards.
• Serves as the Skip Hop representative authority on QA, leading conversation in executive meetings and fostering collaboration with internal and external teams.
• Take the helm in the development and implementation of cutting-edge quality assurance practices and policies across our offices in New York and China, encompassing the entire product lifecycle from development through delivery and replenishment.
• Establishes close-knit partnerships with our Design & Product Development teams, infusing QA principles from the inception of the development lifecycle.
• Manage and negotiate budgets, while fostering productive relationships with labs and other stakeholders.
Program Management/Technical Direction (35%)
• Exercise deep expertise in testing and safety requirements, inclusive of age 0+ infant toys and baby gear.
• This includes thorough hazard analysis, identifying critical control points and implementing preventive measures, defining clear critical limits, inventory monitoring, corrective actions, and verification procedures.
• Act as the subject matter expert for reliability, safety, life-testing, sustainability, CAPA, and global compliance requirements across various regions like the US, Canada, UK, Europe, China, and Japan.
• Proactively stays updated on emerging QA requirements and fosters strong connections with industry organizations.
• Mastery of labeling requirements and leads successful implementation across multiple geographies.
Reporting, Documentation & Analysis: (30%)
• Provide recommendations on tools and processes for internal and external reporting, documentation, validation, and continuous improvement, including addressing unique testing and certification requirements.
• Coordinate the collection and analysis of data from customer service, sales, reviews, and quality control to drive ongoing improvement efforts and ensure optimal vendor quality performance.
• Take the lead in establishing and communicating product quality standards through our comprehensive vendor manuals.
• Collaborate with the broader Carter’s enterprise to effectively manage programs related to vendors and subcontractors, ensuring transparency and accountability.
We’d Love to Hear from you if:
• 10 or more years of experience in quality assurance, handling both juvenile soft and hard lines.
• Subject Matter Expert level knowledge in testing and safety requirements, including experience in age 0+ infant toys and baby gear.
• Managed industry-leading, collaborative, analytical teams on internal and external process, documentation, regulations, and compliance needs for product development
• Process and documentation – development of enterprise compliance and documentation for standards, validations, and compliance
• Experience working with, or for, accredited third-party testing labs
• Developed a leading product Quality Assurance team.
• Background leading teams in offices and factories, onshore and in Asia.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and requirements across a broad portfolio of products.
• High-level Microsoft Excel skills required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Preferred:
• Subject matter expertise with Chinese testing standards (GB, CCC, CIQ), and CA Prop 65 and CHCC state reporting
• Knowledge of food contact product standards and regulations
• Engineering degree preferred
Compensation for this position ranges from $150K – $225K based on skills and experience
OUR Team Members:
• Lead Courageously: Have a strong sense of personal values that align with our Company values
• Collaborates Broadly: Build cooperation, trust, and thrive in a consensus driven environment
• Customer Focus: Proactively seek opportunities to leverage data and fact-based insights to serve customers and/or internal clients
• Drive Growth: Set aggressive goals and implement plans precisely
• Cultivates Innovation: Respectfully challenge the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and explore new ways to achieve desired outcomes
Make a Career at Carter’s:
• Career Development: Success starts from within, and we have several paths from which you can choose to enhance your career evolution. From Carter’s University to Toastmasters to mentorship programs and more, we encourage you to utilize these tools to elevate your professional prowess.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties described may be changed or reassigned at the discretion of management, and the employee may be required to perform duties that are not listed in the job description.
Carters is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.
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