Quality Assurance Manager

Team: Supply Chain
Classification: Exempt
Job Type: Salary, Full-time
Location: HQ - Butner, NC
Annual Salary: $97,800 - $109,800*
Reports to: Director of Supply Chain

Nugget, a direct-to-consumer kids furniture brand, is in search of a Quality Assurance Manager to enhance our ability to more closely monitor quality and compliance. In this pivotal role, you'll coordinate cohesion across product development, domestic and overseas suppliers, and our manufacturing departments to streamline processes to reduce defects, improve product margins, and ensure our ability to consistently deliver high-quality products to our customers. If you are an experienced Quality Assurance Manager ready to drive impactful change and contribute to our dynamic growth, we'd love for you to apply!

What is Nugget? We are an industry-leading, fun-loving, furniture company (est. 2014) that seeks to bring bold play and big imaginations into everyday life at home. We design, develop, market, manufacture, sell, and ship our part-toy, part-furniture, four-piece Nuggets all from one location, with a team of ~100 Nuggeteers, in Butner, North Carolina (just outside of Durham). And we're just getting started — in both 2020 and 2021, Inc. Magazine named us the fastest-growing manufacturing company in the United States. We're proud to continue the industrial legacy of North Carolina, and to make kids furniture for growing imaginations.

• You will oversee the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and standards to drive continuous improvement in product quality assurance
• You will create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent and high-quality process execution
• You will set and monitor quality control measures throughout Nugget production facility and warehouse to ensure adherence to established standards
• You will define acceptable Acceptable Quality Limits (AQL), applying varying approaches to different product types
• You will provide leadership, direction, and guidance to cross-functional teams to ensure a clear understanding of regulatory, customer and internal Nugget quality requirements
• You will support and participate in the implementation and continuous improvement of the Nugget production systems
• You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and documenting quality assurance programs, working collaboratively with both internal and external teams
• You will investigate and address recurring customer quality complaints, performing root cause analysis to determine corrective actions and evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions
• You will audit vendors and second-party processes to ensure they meet internal requirements and regulatory standards
• You will select and manage vendors for factory audits and inspections to ensure ongoing compliance
• You will assist Supply Chain Director in scorecarding processes and setting criteria
• You will coordinate with the supplier and Nugget production quality teams to ensure manufacturing and finishing processes are on schedule to support product release dates
• You will identify and document potential issues that may cause, or contribute to, quality deviations from planned/expected outcomes and proactively develop rectification plans
• You will collaborate with the Receiving, Sourcing, and Production teams to understand challenges and pain points in the supply chain and develop and execute plans to address ongoing issues and concerns with suppliers
• You will analyze the internal costs associated with supplier quality issues and work towards assessing potential savings upon successful resolution of these issues
• You may be responsible for initiating laboratory tests and analyzing test results
• You will partner with Product Development to ensure product safety & quality requirements are assessed and met before hand off to supply chain and production

• You have 5-7 years of experience in the consumer goods industry with a strong QA and factory production background
  • Bonus: You have a Bachelor's degree in textile technology or similar educational background
• You have extensive knowledge of fabric, testing, construction, and manufacturing
• You have in-depth experience with quality assurance control in a high-volume production environment
  • Bonus: You have knowledge of ISO 9000 rules and practices
• You have a strong knowledge of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• You possess exceptional problem-solving, decision-making, prioritization, and organizational skills
• You have outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• You have experience leading a QA team locally and collaborating with QA teams overseas
• You have a solid understanding of testing methodologies, experience overseeing testing labs and the ability to work with testing equipment and maintain accurate documentation records
• You are proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant reporting software platforms
  • Bonus: You have software solutions and/or database management experience
• You demonstrate proficiency in communicating effectively across diverse levels, employing various modes of communication to ensure clarity and understanding among a range of audiences, including production associates, executive leadership team, and international suppliers
• You can navigate complex information adeptly, solving problems by asking the right questions, gathering diverse data, uncovering root causes, and evaluating various solution options
• You demonstrate strong ethical standards and a commitment to upholding product quality, refusing to compromise or take shortcuts, and are deeply passionate about ensuring accountability for work standards, particularly with overseas suppliers
• You excel at making informed, timely decisions, utilizing a blend of analysis, experience, and judgment, considering all relevant factors
• You approach work with a "no job is too small" attitude, and have a curious mind - always willing to learn and grow your imagination

Competitive Pay + Annual Company Bonus

Medical, Dental, and Vision covered at 100% for employees

PTO, Holidays, Summer and Winter Break

401k Employer Match

Paid Parental Leave

Free Nugget + Team Discount