Production Control & QC Associate

Production Control & QC Associate

Department: Operations / Product Development

Type: Full-Time

Reports To: Director of Supply Chain

Location: New York Preferred

Required Work Authorization: USA

Salary: $75,000-$85,000

About the Role

We are seeking a detail-oriented, highly organized, and proactive Production Control & QC Associate to support production control, Quality Control (QC), and Quality Assurance (QA) operations, while leading accessory and merch sourcing and production at Crown Affair.

In this role, you will partner closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, including our QC/QA Consultant, Product Development Manager, packaging suppliers, contract manufacturers, and vendors, to ensure products meet Crown Affair's quality standards. You will help troubleshoot quality issues, improve pass-off flows across the stage-gate process, and lead accessory and merch development from initial concept through commercialization.

The ideal candidate has hands-on quality assurance and quality control experience within cosmetics or CPG, paired with sourcing and product development experience. You thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where priorities can shift quickly, attention to detail matters, and ownership is essential.

You Will Love This Job If You

• Thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where priorities can shift quickly
• Have an exceptional eye for detail and genuinely enjoy ensuring products meet exacting quality standards
• Are comfortable being hands-on with production, quality inspections, and troubleshooting
• Are a clear, decisive communicator who is comfortable escalating issues quickly when something is off
• Enjoy working cross-functionally with internal teams, contract manufacturers, suppliers, consultants, and vendors
• Love taking a product from an initial creative brief through sourcing, sampling, production, and launch
• Are highly organized and comfortable managing multiple projects and timelines simultaneously
• Are proactive about identifying risks and solving problems before they become larger issues

What You Will Do

Quality

• Monitor and verify that identified QC/QA specifications are being met during production runs, escalating deviations according to established protocols
• Perform QC checks on batch samples, verifying output against defined specifications before and during production runs
• Review batch and production records for completeness and accuracy prior to release sign-off
• Track and report batch failure rates against specifications, with a target of zero critical failures
• Maintain documentation of QC check results, deviations, and escalations
• Develop QC metrics and KPIs to monitor vendor performance and drive continuous improvement
• Partner with third-party inspectors to conduct audits and ensure CAPAs are implemented when quality issues are identified
• Partner with the QA/QC Consultant and Product Development team to investigate quality deviations and issues
• Support supplier and contract manufacturer quality audits by confirming real-time practices align with documented procedures

Production Control

• Document observed deviations and route them through the appropriate escalation and CAPA processes
• Outline inspection specifications by component to ensure comprehensive post-production inspections are completed at the component level
• Partner with Product Development to refine the batch review process and ensure alignment with the QMS
• Serve as the on-site point of contact for production compliance questions with contract manufacturers and suppliers

Sourcing & Development

• Own end-to-end development of accessory and merch products briefed by the Brand Marketing team, from vendor sourcing through launch, ensuring products are delivered on spec, on time, and at the appropriate quality and cost
• Source, evaluate, and select vendors and manufacturers based on capability, quality, cost, and lead time
• Manage product development timelines from initial brief through sample rounds, approvals, PO issuance, production, and launch
• Track and coordinate sample development, including proto, pre-production, and production samples, routing materials for internal approvals and revisions
• Own communication with vendors regarding specification changes, timeline updates, and issue resolution throughout development
• Partner with Brand Marketing to translate creative briefs into vendor-ready specifications and ensure design intent is preserved throughout production
• Negotiate pricing, MOQs, and payment and production terms with vendors
• Issue and track POs, monitoring vendor adherence to costing, quantities, and timelines
• Conduct quality inspections on incoming accessory and merch shipments, or coordinate third-party inspections, prior to distribution or launch
• Maintain a development tracker and status log across all active accessory and merch projects, proactively flagging timeline risks
• Manage vendor relationships and performance over time, including onboarding new vendors as needed
• Serve as the primary point of contact between Brand Marketing and vendors and manufacturers for all accessory and merch development
• Balance and prioritize core production QC/QA responsibilities alongside accessory and merch development timelines
• Escalate vendor performance issues related to quality, cost, or timeline to leadership with recommended corrective actions

Key Requirements

• 4+ years of quality experience in a fast-paced CPG environment
• Hands-on quality assurance and/or quality control experience within cosmetics, beauty, or CPG
• Clear, fast communicator who can escalate issues same-day without hesitation
• Experience working with or auditing contract manufacturers and suppliers strongly preferred
• Strong negotiation skills with experience in sourcing, production, and international manufacturing
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel
• Analytical and strategic thinker who can understand the broader impact and scope of a decision
• Experience with ERP systems
• Highly skilled in Excel and Google Sheets
• Willing and able to travel up to 25% of the time

Compensation & Benefits

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $75,000-$85,000 . Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget.

In addition, Crown Affair offers a variety of benefits to eligible team members, including health insurance coverage, wellness and remote support programs, paid leave programs, education-related programs, unlimited PTO, paid holidays, and others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

About Crown Affair

Crown Affair is a first of its kind haircare brand that empowers people to redefine their relationship with their hair through accessible luxury products, guidance, and community. We believe that loving your hair starts with understanding how to care for it. Each product we make is developed to work together with any (or all) of our other products, so that together they form more than a routine: it's a ritual. We've partnered with dedicated craftsmen and chemists around the world to create thoughtfully sourced products you'll love using each and every day.

About The Founder

Dianna Cohen started her career at digital content platform, Into The Gloss, in 2012. She was part of the founding team of e-commerce mobile app, Spring, where she launched and managed their marketing channels from pre-launch through year two. From there, she worked closely with former Jimmy Choo founder, Tamara Mellon, to relaunch her namesake brand as a direct-to-consumer, luxury company. After launching Tamara Mellon in 2016, Dianna joined travel company, Away, as Head of Partnerships until she left to start Levitate at the end of 2017. Under Levitate, Dianna has worked with a number of direct-to-consumer brands including Harry's / Flamingo, Outdoor Voices, Yumi, Buck Mason, The Wing, and more. Dianna is part of Forbes' 30 Under 30 for the Class of 2019.

Crown Affair is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences.