Material Quality Specialist 2

Department: Material Quality  Reports to: Senior Material Quality Specialist  Location:  North Vancouver, BC   Your Opportunity at ARC’TERYX:   As a Material Quality Specialist 2, you ensure the quality of the brand’s material from development through to bulk production for Veilance and Arc’teryx raw materials. You review and approve the specification and quality of new materials, plan seasonal material testing, and provide quality feedback and assessment to resolve any material quality issues in the supply chain. You ensure suppliers understand and follow the brand’s quality standards and requirements in their production by implementing seasonal test plans, regular vendor engagement and monitoring their performance in different quality related indicators. You partner with the suppliers and cross functional teams to achieve excellence in the quality of the brand’s material.  This role is primarily based out of our North Vancouver office and is open to hybrid remote. Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada.   Meet Your Future Team:    The Raw Materials Quality team is a small but highly versatile team of problem solvers and process makers, who ensure all materials used in our supply chain meet and exceed the brand and guests’ expectations.   If you were in the Material Quality Specialist 2 role now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing:

Collaborating with Raw Materials Development or Advanced Concepts teams during the R&D and development stages of new textiles for Veilance and Arc’teryx material libraries and toolbox, offering expert consultation and guidance on testing requirements and quality. Proactively identifying and flagging issues and risk to ensure the quality of new developments

Reviewing test reports, material specifications, and physical samples of newly developed materials validated and handed over by Material Developers. Approving materials based on the brand’s procedures, requirements, and standards, while promptly flagging any identified issues to the management for resolution

Planning tests for monitoring the performance of the material in seasonal SRS and/or bulk production in accordance with the material specifications and brand’s standards

Developing or modifying test methods for quality assessment of the material

Providing technical guidance to the suppliers and labs about the brand’s standards, testing, and quality requirements

Analyzing incoming test reports, approving them, and promptly flagging and following up on any failures or issues as/if needed

Reviewing bulk production samples (including first bulk batches) received from suppliers and factories, providing feedback, initiating corrective actions and follow-ups as required

Engaging with the raw material suppliers about implementation of the brand’s quality requirements, reviewing their performance and resolving quality issues

Assessing material quality issues at the bulk production stage, by gathering information, doing assessments, and providing feedback to the material supplier and garment factories in accordance with the brand’s issue resolution process

Developing regular reports on the quality and performance of materials and suppliers

Supporting the documentation of process and workflows

Here are some of the things you could be working on in the future:

Approving new seasonal materials from material developers including but not limited to the materials developed for Veilance models.

Reviewing lab test reports of seasonal test plans during Sales Rep Samples (SRS) and bulk stage

Reviewing the incoming bulk quality issues; aligning with internal and external stakeholders and deciding if samples pass or fail

Are you our next Material Quality Specialist 2?

You have a minimum bachelor’s degree in textiles or the equivalent experience

You have 5+ years’ experience in materials quality, materials development, or textile production

You have a deep knowledge of textile fibers, production processes (including spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and finishing), as well as a very strong knowledge of standard test methods for quality testing

You can make decisions independently by processing data and weighing available information

You are an innate problem solver, able to offer multiple solutions in the face of ambiguity

You have a disciplined approach to prioritization and are able to effectively balance competing deadlines

You have highly effective verbal and written communication skills

You have strong time management and organizational skills

You can effectively balance autonomy and collaboration

You inspire breakthrough thinking and continuous improvement

You seek the best (sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right

Your passion for your work is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it