Footwear Technical Developer & QA Lead

Free People is seeking a Footwear Technical developer and QA lead to drive the day-to-day technical product development processes and production requirements within footwear across the Free People vendor and factory base, aligning with direction of the home office Technical Team to promote and provide a better understanding of the brand’s DNA. This fast-paced role will be a hybrid of product development and quality assurance/control, set in a mobile atmosphere where candidate will routinely meet with vendors and factories daily to ensure product is being built with integrity and upheld to the required standards for overall customer satisfaction.

• Daily oversight over FP factory base; align with vendors and factories for review of product at key milestone dates to keep production on schedule, maintain communication for drop-ins and pre-planned meetings and Final AQL quality inspections.
• Partner with FP home office design and product team to evaluate expectations and trouble shoot issues with FP Footwear Technical Team throughout product lifecycle.
• Keen sense of footwear and corresponding nomenclature and processes; lasts, patterns, tooling, components, etc.
• Fit checking samples ahead of dispatch to FP home office, align with FP technical team that grading was done to spec.
• Collaborate with factories to ensure accurate corrections during Risk Assessments.
• Supporting testing standards and QA inspection requirements set by home office, ensures follow through from vendor/factory side to stay on target.
• Coordinate with third party inspectors during AQL and Final Inspection reviews prior to handover, schedule follow up inspections through self-lead checks with vendor’s QC team where required.
• Manage Final AQL inspections where necessary and provide full report for home office team.
• Help keep all points of production lifecycle on track to maintain speed to market agility.

• 7-10 years in the footwear industry with an ideal background in the following areas:
  • 4+ years in footwear product development
  • 3+ years in footwear quality assurance, quality control, or factory production quality assurance
  • Understanding last development, upper and outsole construction, pattern engineering and fit
  • Familiarity with 2D/3D software and tech pack review
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Final AQL reports)
  • Strong knowledge of leathers and fabrications
  • Experience in interpreting quality standards set by international organizations like ASTM, ISO, SATRA, etc. and integrating brand specific protocols.
  • Understanding of lab testing and failure analysis
  • Hands-on experience in factory with on-site development and QA experience is strongly preferred
  • Ability to work across time zones with home office team
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to self-manage schedule
  • Capability to travel weekly to visit vendors and factories, location contingent upon sampling and production schedule

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits