Job Description

About the role Lead quality assurance for perfume packaging you will own QA strategy for new product development, supplier qualification, tooling/mold validation, and serial production release for pumps, collars, caps, bottles, cans and finished fragrance items. You will coordinate crossfunctional teams (Product Development, QC,Supply Chain, Procurement, Production, Sales, external labs/inspection bodies) to ensure products meet regulatory, cosmetic, aesthetic and functional requirements, on time and within budget.
Key responsibilities

• QA leadership for NPD

• Define and enforce QA gates, acceptance criteria and test plans for NPD milestones (concept prototype preproduction production release).
• Collaborate with Product Development (PDD) to translate technical drawings, decoration specs, and functional requirements into measurable quality criteria and PSDs.
• Drive design for manufacturability (DFM) inputs and quality risk assessments early in projects.
• Supplier qualification and management

• Lead supplier audits, capability assessments and onboarding for packaging and fragrance suppliers.
• Define supplier KPIs (quality, OTIF, NCR rate), monitor performance and lead improvement plans.
• Manage supplier tooling/mold approval processes, periodic tooling health checks and maintenance escalation.
• First article and sample control

• Oversee first-sample inspections, coordinate mock-ups and prototype test plans, approve trial/mold samples and first production runs.
• Maintain structured sample library and version control for prototypes, preproduction and approved parts.
• Incoming, in-process and outgoing quality

• Specify and maintain sampling plans, inspection methods and defect classification for incoming components and finished goods.
• Authorize production release based on objective evidence (test results, inspection reports).
• Coordinate SGS / thirdparty inspections and validate external lab reports.
• Non-conformity and corrective action

• Lead NCR investigations, root-cause analysis (5Why, Ishikawa), corrective & preventive actions (CAPA) and supplier CAPA follow-up.
• Ensure timely communication of quality status to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Documentation & systems

• Create and maintain Product Specification Documents (PSDs), test reports, validation records, inspection procedures and quality checklists in ERP/QMS.
• Ensure traceability of batches, tooling numbers and sample approvals.
• Maintain QC records and support internal/external audits (ISO, Ecovadis, cosmetic regulatory audits).
• Team leadership & training

• Manage and mentor QC/QA staff, delegate inspection assignments and develop technical competence across the team.
• Deliver technical training to Sales, Production and customers on handling, assembly and inspection of perfume packaging components.
• Continuous improvement & compliance

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce defects, scrap and returns; run quality improvement projects using data-driven methods.
• Keep up-to-date with cosmetic & packaging regulatory requirements and industry best practices (materials safety, migration, packaging closures, coating/decoration standards).

Qualifications & experience

• 6+ years experience in QA/QC with at least 3 years focused on NPD in perfume/cosmetics packaging or closely related decorative packaging sector. Experience in fragrance component QA (pumps, closures, aerosols, decorative glass/metal) mandatory.
• Bachelors degree in Quality Management, Industrial Engineering, Chemistry, Packaging Technology or related discipline.
• Proven experience with tooling/mold approval, first-article inspection processes, decoration/printing quality requirements, and supplier quality management.
• Handson experience with thirdparty inspection firms (e.g., SGS), laboratory testing coordination and acceptance of test certificates.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001; familiarity with cosmetic sector standards and regulatory needs (IFRA, REACH basics, migration testing) preferred.
• ERP and QMS experience; advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and quality reporting tools.

Skills & competencies

• Strong project management skills: able to lead multiple NPD projects and hit time-to-market milestones.
• Excellent technical judgment and attention to detail for aesthetic and functional requirements.
• Analytical: experience with root-cause analysis, statistical process control (SPC) and quality metrics.
• Clear communicator with ability to interact at supplier, customer and senior management levels.
• Leadership: experience hiring, coaching and developing QA/QC teams.
• Customer-focused, pragmatic problem solver with ability to travel to supplier sites as required.

Reporting & scope

• Reports to: Head of Operations
• Direct reports: QC Inspectors
• Regular interaction with: Product Development, Procurement, Production, Sales, External Labs, Thirdparty Inspectors, Key Suppliers, Customers

KPIs (examples)

• First-pass yield and production release success rate for NPD launches
• NCR rate (ppm) from suppliers and production
• On-time product release for NPD projects
• Supplier quality performance (defects per million, corrective action closure time)
• Audit readiness score and documentation completeness

What we offer

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Role with high impact on product quality and brand perception in a fast growing fragrance packaging business
• Opportunities to lead cross-functional projects and supplier development

Skills Required