Quality & Assurance Lead, Apparel, Accessories and FootwearRef #: W151061
Department: Manufacturing & Sourcing
City: Bologna
Country: Italy
Company Description Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands, and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, and Chaps, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands.
At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups, and Celebration.
Position Overview The Quality & Assurance Lead for Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories in Italy is part of the Ralph Lauren Global Product Integrity team. The Q&A Lead reports to the Head of Global Quality and is accountable for the quality of RL Luxury products that are made in Italy and in other European countries. The Q&A Lead manages the Quality team of product experts that own inline, final inspections & pre-production samples at the factories. The Q&A Lead is ultimately accountable for ensuring the team and suppliers are literate in all corporate compliance, procedures, and regulatory RL standards. The ideal candidate for this position is a strong and proven team leader who will be deeply involved in root cause analysis, corrective action plans, and action calendars.
Leading the team of quality inspectors in the region for on-site inspections with weekly visits at the factories.Responsible for scheduling inspections according to product complexity, delivery, and supplier performance.Reports monthly analysis and communicates progress on quality KPIs to suppliers and RL Leadership.Implement QA driven procedures and quality standards.Oversee the laboratory testing process on raw materials or finished products to ensure compliance with RL quality and regulatory standards.Own the factory quality audits across Europe to establish a high level of product quality assurance.Extensively partner with Sourcing and Product Teams to ensure calendar needs and quality control activities are met.Assess current supplier matrix and publish supplier scorecards to internal RL business partners.Partner with suppliers to have their own in-house inspectors according to the requirements of the Vendor Quality Program. Training and continuous calibration of these inspectors is required.Actively participate in seasonal risk assessment meetings for the product reviews; proactively detect and mitigate quality issues.Manage QA Budget for travel and consulting services.Experience, Skills & Knowledge Minimum of 10 years of experience with luxury product and successfully leading teams in Quality.Proven technical skills for apparel, footwear, and accessories.Fluent in English, both spoken and written.Deep understanding of Quality management systems.Critical thinking with an analytical mindset.Adaptability while leading a team through change.Collaboration & coaching.Local and international travel is required.
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