Senior Apparel Quality Assurance Technician - REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)

REI Co-op is united around discovering, building and celebrating better ways of working in this world, all so that folks can find and pursue a love of the outdoors. When you work for the co-op, you do your best work with the support to live your best life. And you play a part in shaping the future of the outdoors, for people and our planet. 

Responsible for quality assurance of individual products and complete apparel product lines consisting of moderate to extreme levels of difficulty, complexity or breadth of scope; taking place through daily interaction and oversight during product creation, establishing all quality control expectations and remediation of any quality issues arising after product ship from the manufacturing vendor.

• Establish and maintain best quality practices for apparel and softgoods products 
• Maintain awareness of all internal and external requirements associated to respective product
• Ensure adherence to established best quality practices during product creation; from product inception, up to manufacture
• Establish and maintain correlation between product testing efforts and quality assurance and control efforts
• Perform FMEAs and other analysis with cross functional teams to determine needs for new test and quality control requirements
• Design and iterate new quality inspection methods in the absence of standardized and existing methods
• Research, design and publish formal quality control plans specific to REI developed products
• Identify quality issues (after product leaves manufacturing vendor)
• Provide oversight of identified quality issues (above) from discovery to resolution
• Operate industrial shop tools as needed per product type
• Direct the efforts of outside contracted resources to ensure adherence to industry and internal standards
• Provide routine status updates in a timely manner and keep business partners continuously informed on quality issues
• Provide expert analysis of qualitative and quantitative results and present objective recommendations to cross-functional product development teams
• Maintain and readily communicate all internal procedures and best practices; ensure procedures and practices are up to date
• Maintain archives and revision control of all quality associated procedures, protocols, documents, and records
• Serve as a quality consultant for all new technology and product developments
• Keep informed of the latest developments in the field by reading trade journals, individual contacts and attendance at appropriate meetings and/or trade shows

Qualifications:

• 8 year’s prior experience in a similar position
• Computer experience and knowledge of Microsoft applications required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Expertise with quality assurance and quality control best practices, procedures and equipment
• Familiarity with product related testing practices, procedures and equipment
• Technical Aptitude - Ability to perform professional assignments of wide variety and complexity under general direction with considerable discretion as to work details given experience level
• Effective Communication - Clear communication to internal and external customers in multiple formats (written, verbal)
• Self Sufficient - Ability to complete quality assurance deliverables of wide variety and complexity under general direction with considerable discretion as to work details given experience level
• Problem Solving - Effectively analyzing all aspects of a problem, gathering necessary data, consulting others, making an informed decision and communicating it to the appropriate people
• Testing and Fabrication - Experience operating test and shop equipment related to assigned product type
• Materials Knowledge – Extensive knowledge of assigned product type materials and their respective properties
• Quantifiable Results - Demonstrated solid training and understanding of statistical sampling, inspection and analysis 

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization. We know that there's strength in our diversity – that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn.  

Pay Transparency 

We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors.   

REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and accrued time off.  Click here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile.