Sourcing, Supplier Quality & Product Engineering

Position Overview

The Sourcing, Supplier Quality & Product Engineering Specialist is responsible for ensuring suppliers meet the company’s standards for quality, product integrity, and manufacturing excellence. This role is highly cross-functional, connecting sourcing, product development, and engineering to deliver products that meet cost, quality, and design intent across all categories — including home décor, furniture, outdoor, and pool living.

The ideal candidate combines technical knowledge of product construction with a strong understanding of supplier operations, materials, and quality systems. They will perform regular supplier visits to assess capabilities, audit quality processes, and drive continuous improvement. This position requires extensive travel (50–70%) throughout China and other regions as needed.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supplier Management & Assessment

• Conduct on-site supplier visits to evaluate manufacturing capabilities, process controls, and compliance with company standards.

• Lead supplier qualification and onboarding assessments, focusing on capacity, technology, quality systems, and sustainability practices.

• Partner with sourcing and PD teams to identify supplier strengths and technology “fill” opportunities that align with business needs.

• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards and continuous improvement plans.

2. Product Engineering & Technical Specifications

• Collaborate closely with Product Development to ensure product construction aligns with functional, aesthetic, and cost requirements.

• Create and maintain detailed FG (Finished Goods) specifications, bill of materials, and construction documentation.

• Review and validate technical drawings, component specs, and testing requirements to ensure manufacturability and product integrity.

3. Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor supplier quality performance through audits, inspections, and data analysis.

• Implement and enforce robust quality control processes, root cause analysis, and corrective action systems.

• Partner with suppliers to identify process inefficiencies, improve defect rates, and enhance consistency in material and product performance.

• Support pre-production and first article inspections to ensure alignment with company standards and PD expectations.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the technical bridge between Sourcing, Product Development, and Quality teams, ensuring seamless communication across design and execution stages.

• Provide real-time feedback to PD on material behavior, construction feasibility, and potential design optimizations.

• Collaborate with suppliers to align engineering solutions with PD design intent while maintaining cost efficiency and scalability.

5. Travel & Supplier Engagement

• Travel frequently (50–70%) to supplier sites for audits, process validation, and technical reviews.

• Build strong working relationships with supplier technical teams, fostering transparency and trust.

• Attend trade fairs, factory trials, and engineering summits to stay informed of manufacturing innovations and sourcing trends.

Qualifications & Skills

• 8+ years of experience in supplier quality, product engineering, or sourcing within consumer goods, furniture, or home product categories.

• Strong technical understanding of product construction, material performance, and manufacturing processes (textiles, plastics, foam, PVC, etc.).

• Proven experience conducting supplier audits, capability assessments, and quality system evaluations.

• Familiarity with FG specs, tolerance management, testing protocols, and product validation processes.

• Excellent problem-solving skills with a data-driven, hands-on approach to quality and process improvement.

• Proficiency in CAD, PLM, or related technical documentation tools preferred.

• Fluent in English.

• Willing and able to travel extensively (50–70%) across China and other sourcing regions.

Expectations

• Working time: Monday to Friday.

• Desired working location: China, preferably near Shanghai, Ningbo, Suzhou, or Hangzhou.

• Extensive travel to vendors, fabric mills, and to fabric/furniture expos across China.

• Must be available for weekly Teams calls with the US team either early morning or late evening.