Gear Quality Assurance Technician
Posted by REI on 11/02/2021
Job Basics
Industry Sector: Outdoor
Job Categories: Design & Development - Product
Company Type: Accessories, Apparel/SoftGoods, Events, HardGoods/Equipment, Nutrition, TravelandTourism
State: WA
City: Tukwila
Country: United States
Required Experience: 3 - 5 years
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: 80000
Required to Relocate: Yes
Required to Travel: Yes
Employee May Telecommute: No
Job Seeker Must Live Within: 50+ miles
Job Description & Requirements
This job contributes to REI’s success by being responsible for quality assurance of our REI and Co-op Cycles branded gear products, including but not limited to: camp furniture, backpacks and other carry products, tents, sleeping pads and trekking poles. You will have daily interaction with our product creation teams, and responsibility during product design and development for establishing all quality control expectations for each product and/or product category. For any quality concerns that arise after products ship from the manufacturing vendor, you will investigate by working with our US stores, distribution centers, and customer service teams, as well as our Asia technical operations teams.
- Act in accordance with REI’s guiding values and mission.
- Establish and maintain best quality practices for respective product types, and ensure adherence from product ideation to production handoff.
- Maintain awareness of internal and external requirements associated with each product?type.
- Establish and maintain correlation between product testing efforts and quality assurance efforts
- Contribute to FMEAs and other analysis with cross functional teams to determine needs for new quality 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 post-production quality issues and provide oversight of from discovery to resolution
- Operate hand and 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 and train all internal procedures and best practices
- Maintain archives and revision control of all quality associated procedures, protocols, documents, and records
- Serve as a quality consultant for all new gear product developments
- Keep informed of the latest developments in the field
- Approach challenges by creating and evaluating multiple alternatives
- Work within project schedules
- Acknowledge that your work affects the quality level of the final product
- Perform other tasks as assigned
- 4 years prior experience in a similar position
- 2-year degree in technical or related field preferred
- Expertise with quality assurance and quality control best practices, procedures and equipment
- Knowledge of and practical experience with outdoor products and how they are used.
- Knowledge of construction and quality of camp furniture, backpacks and other carry products, tents, sleeping pads, trekking poles and other products
- Extensive knowledge of materials, construction and quality of assigned product types
- Ability to complete quality assurance deliverables of wide variety and complexity under general direction
- Strong project management, organizational skills, and acute attention to detail
- Ability to craft and present professional reports and technical information.
- Ability to effectively manage overlapping projects at varying levels of completion, complexity and size
- Demonstrated understanding and use of statistical sampling, inspection and analysis
- Domestic and international travel capability (approximately 10% time per year)
- Look beyond the norm to develop new practices and embrace necessary change
- Consideration and effective analysis of all aspects of a problem, gathering necessary data, consulting others, making an informed decision and communicating it to the appropriate people
- Take ownership of projects, be decisive while considering the overall project and resources involved; consider enterprise implications of each decision and action
- Strong math and science skills, including basic statistics and physics.
- Skilled in the use of computers, including at least intermediate proficiency on Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint and shared network drives.
- Builds rapport with all kinds of people inside and outside the organization.
- Actively participates and collaborates with others on one's own team and across REI for the achievement of business goals.
- Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities.
- Consolidates information from various sources, including feedback from others, to reach sound decisions.
- Sets effective work goals, establishes priorities, and plans well to produce quality work.
- Executes effectively by using resources efficiently, meeting deadlines, and keeping others informed of work plans and progress toward goals.
About REI
At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), we love to get outside and play, and we know first-hand the importance of quality outdoor gear. We stand behind all our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and we design our own line of award-winning REI brand gear and clothing. Whether you're new to outdoor adventure or a seasoned pro, we gladly share our enthusiasm for our products—and the trails, slopes and waterways where we play.
