Head of Product Quality

3 days ago

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Axentia Global Full time

Head of Product Quality

Location:
Melbourne (preferred) | Option to be based in Hong Kong or China

Function:
Quality | Apparel & Hardgoods | Global Sourcing

Reports to:
Regional Director, Product Integrity

Job Type:
Permanent

About the Company

Our client is a leading global retail group with a strong footprint across Australia, Asia, and Europe. The business operates at scale across apparel, home, lifestyle, toys, and hardgoods, supported by advanced sourcing hubs in Asia. With an ambitious growth agenda, the company is elevating its Quality & Compliance function to ensure exceptional product standards, operational efficiency, and supplier excellence.

This role sits at the centre of that transformation.

Role Purpose

The
Head of Product Quality
will lead the end-to-end quality strategy for multiple product categories produced across Asia. This leader will shape the quality roadmap, reinforce global standards, strengthen supplier capability, and ensure that every product meets the brand promise of safety, performance, and durability.

The role blends technical depth with leadership, commercial judgment, and cross-functional influence. You will oversee quality processes from design through mass production, partner with Product Development, Buying, and Sourcing teams, and drive continuous improvement across the global supply base.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

  • Define and lead the product quality strategy for key categories across Asia.
  • Build a high-performing QA organisation across multiple countries and hubs.
  • Champion global quality standards and embed best-practice systems and tools.

Operational Excellence

  • Lead the execution of quality programs from pre-production to shipment.
  • Strengthen quality processes: risk assessment, testing protocols, inspections, audits, and factory capability evaluations.
  • Ensure alignment with international compliance requirements and internal governance.

Cross-Functional Partnership

  • Collaborate closely with Sourcing, Product Development, Technical Design, and Buying teams.
  • Influence early upstream decisions that reduce defects and improve product performance.
  • Interface with global teams to align on standards, reporting frameworks, and quality KPIs.

Supplier & Factory Engagement

  • Evaluate and uplift supplier capability through structured improvement plans.
  • Drive issue-resolution, root-cause analysis, and preventive actions.
  • Manage QA vendors, laboratories, and external service providers.

People Leadership

  • Lead and mentor regional QA teams across supplier markets.
  • Embed a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and technical excellence.
  • Develop succession plans and strengthen technical bench strength.

Candidate Profile
Technical Expertise

  • 12–18+ years of experience in
    apparel, footwear, home, or general merchandise
    quality management.
  • Strong exposure to Asian manufacturing hubs (China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India).
  • Deep understanding of testing standards, risk mitigation, compliance, and factory operations.

Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

  • Ability to influence senior stakeholders across countries and functions.
  • Strategic mindset with strong operational rigour.
  • A builder of systems, teams, and processes – not just a maintainer.
  • Highly collaborative, resilient, and solutions-oriented.

Why This Role Matters (EVP)

  • Shape the end-to-end quality agenda for a global retailer.
  • Influence decisions early in the product lifecycle.
  • Lead a regional team with visibility to senior leadership.
  • Work in an organisation investing in technology, sustainability, and global expansion.
  • Long-term career mobility across functions and markets.

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