Director of Quality Assurance

About Comfrt:Comfrt is the #1 Hoodie Brand in the U.S. and the #1 apparel and home textile brand on TikTok globally. We design and deliver elevated basics rooted in mental well-being, comfort, and confidence. With over 4 million hoodies sold in just two years, we're expanding rapidly across apparel, home textile, and lifestyle categories — as well as into new international markets and retail channels. We're looking for a visionary Director of Quality Assurance to lead and scale our global quality organization across every product category we touch.About the Role:The Director of Quality Assurance is a senior leadership role responsible for building, scaling, and leading Comfrt's global quality function across both apparel and home textile categories. This position sets the strategic direction for quality across all product categories and global markets, ensuring our vendor base — particularly overseas manufacturing partners — meets and exceeds compliance and quality standards across the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia, and all emerging international markets.The Director will partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams — including Product Development, Technical Design, and Retail Operations — to embed quality at every stage of the product lifecycle, from concept through final delivery. This role is critical to Comfrt's continued global growth and its commitment to delivering products that reflect our brand promise of comfort, quality, and confidence.Key Responsibilities:Strategic QA Leadership & Organizational DevelopmentOwn and drive the global QA strategy, frameworks, SOPs, and compliance standards across all vendors, categories, and countries of production — spanning both apparel and home textile product linesBuild, lead, and mentor a high-performing QA team — both internal staff and external partners — to support Comfrt's rapid global expansionEstablish scalable QA infrastructure and systems capable of supporting significant growth across new product categories and international marketsInfluence senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to maintain quality as a core pillar of Comfrt's brand promiseDefine and track KPIs for quality performance across the global supply chain, with regular executive reportingGlobal Compliance & International Market StandardsServe as Comfrt's subject-matter expert on apparel and home textile quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across all key international markets, including:United States: CPSC, ASTM, CPSIA, FLSA, CA Prop 65, 16 CFR flammability standards for home textilesEuropean Union: REACH, GPSD, Textile Labeling Regulation, EN safety standards, EU Ecodesign regulationsCanada: CCPSA, Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, bilingual labeling requirements, Hazardous Products ActAustralia/New Zealand: ACCC, product safety standards, mandatory labeling lawsUK: UKCA marking, UK REACH, retained EU compliance post-Brexit, UK Furniture & Furnishings Fire Safety RegulationsEmerging markets as Comfrt continues international expansionProactively monitor and interpret evolving regulatory landscapes across international markets, assessing impact on product development, sourcing, and labeling strategiesPartner with Legal, Sourcing, and Product Development to ensure compliance is built into every product from inception, not retrofitted at the point of shipmentLead international labeling strategy — including care labels, fiber content disclosure, country of origin, flammability warnings, and multilingual requirements — ensuring accuracy and compliance across all target markets for both apparel and home textile productsRetail & Channel ComplianceDevelop and enforce compliance programs aligned with the requirements of major retail partners, including big-box, department store, specialty, and international retail channelsOwn vendor compliance requirements for retail accounts, including routing guides, packaging standards, ticketing and labeling specs, and social compliance requirementsPartner with Merchandising teams to prepare for retail audits and compliance reviews, ensuring Comfrt consistently meets or exceeds retailer expectations across both apparel and home textile assortmentsOversee compliance for direct-to-consumer (DTC) and e-commerce channels, ensuring packaging, labeling, and product presentation meet platform and regulatory requirementsEstablish and maintain documentation and reporting structures to support retail partners' vendor compliance programsQuality Standards & Benchmarking — Apparel & Home TextileEstablish, document, and continuously evolve Comfrt's quality benchmarks across all product categories:Apparel: Casual, Athleisure, Sleep, Activewear, Kids & Pet ApparelHome Textile: Blankets, Throws, Pillows, Robes, Towels, Bedding, Cushions, and other soft home goodsAccessories: Handbags, Luggage, and lifestyle accessoriesDefine category-specific quality standards that address the unique performance requirements of home textiles — including pilling resistance, wash durability, shrinkage, fiber shedding, colorfastness, seam strength, and fill power for down/alternative fill productsDevelop and maintain comprehensive quality assurance, testing, and inspection protocols aligned with both brand standards and market-specific regulatory requirements for each product categoryDevelop QA standards and protocols for new categoriesImplement a Sealed Sample program and centralized approved sample library to ensure consistent inspection standards across all third-party and in-house inspectionsProblem Solving & Continuous ImprovementLead rapid root cause analysis for quality issues and drive corrective action plan management with vendors and internal teamsChampion a continuous improvement culture across the global supply chain, leveraging data and field insights to proactively prevent quality failuresDevelop escalation protocols and crisis response frameworks for critical quality events, including potential recalls or market withdrawalsAnalyze defect trends across product categories — including home textile-specific issues such as fiber shedding, delamination, fill migration, and thermal performance failures — and drive systemic fixesVendor Compliance & Performance ManagementOwn global vendor performance management, including quality scorecards, audits, corrective action plans, and ongoing factory evaluations across both apparel and home textile supply chainsEnforce adherence to quality standards across overseas vendors and factories in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other sourcing regionsLead vendor training programs to build quality capability and compliance knowledge across the supply base, including specialized training for home textile manufacturers on fiber standards, filling materials, and construction requirementsEvaluate and onboard third-party inspection firms and accredited testing laboratories; define scope, manage relationships, and hold partners accountable to performance standardsTesting & Compliance OperationsEstablish and maintain robust testing protocols ensuring all products meet performance, durability, safety, and regulatory standards across all applicable marketsManage relationships with accredited testing laboratories and third-party inspection firms globallyEnsure all testing is conducted at accredited laboratories compliant with applicable market standards (OEKO-TEX, bluesign, or equivalent certifications where relevant)Manage the expectations and schedule of 3rd party Asia QA teamInspection ManagementManage the end-to-end inspection lifecycle: pre-production meetings, in-line inspections, size set approvals, and final inspections across all product categoriesEnsure all third-party final inspections are conducted with properly established Sealed Samples and approved tech packs presentDefine inspection criteria, AQL standards, and hold/release protocols appropriate to each product category — with specific criteria for home textile construction, filling, finishing, and packaging requirementsOversee inspection of packaging compliance for home textile products, including labeling, care instructions, fiber content declarations, and country of origin accuracyDocumentation, Reporting & VisibilityDevelop and maintain QA SOPs, inspection reports, compliance documentation, and quality dashboards across all product categoriesProvide cross-functional teams — including Merchandising, Sourcing, Finance, and executive leadership — with timely, actionable quality visibilityMaintain comprehensive records to support retailer compliance audits, regulatory inquiries, and internal reviewsCross-Functional Collaboration & TrainingPartner with Product Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Operations to ensure quality is built in from concept through production to final inspection — for both apparel and home textile development pipelinesCollaborate with the Design and PD teams during the home textile development process to ensure fiber selection, construction methods, and finishing treatments meet both aesthetic intent and quality/compliance standardsLead quality training programs for internal teams and vendor partners to continuously elevate standards and build organizational capabilityCollaborate with international business development and retail teams to ensure QA readiness for new market entries and retail account launchesSkills & QualificationsExperience10+ years of experience in quality assurance/quality control within apparel and/or home textile manufacturingExperience across both soft goods categories strongly preferred — apparel AND home textiles (blankets, bedding, pillows, throws, towels, robes, or similar)10+ years of people management experience, with a demonstrated track record of building and scaling QA teamsExtensive experience working with overseas vendors across China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other global sourcing regionsProven experience managing quality across multiple internationa