Product Quality Associate

Project overview

Overview of the Role A leading retail organization is seeking a Product Quality Associate to support product quality, compliance, sample management, and vendor partnership activities across a diverse merchandise portfolio. This role partners closely with Merchants, Buyers, Vendors, Product Development, and cross-functional teams to ensure products meet established quality, safety, packaging, and regulatory standards throughout the product lifecycle.

The ideal candidate combines strong product knowledge, attention to detail, and operational excellence with an understanding of merchandising, product development, vendor management, and quality assurance. This role is well suited for candidates with backgrounds in retail merchandising, product development, quality assurance, buying, merchandise operations, production, or product compliance who enjoy working closely with both products and people in a fast-paced retail environment. The Basics

• Duration: 3+ months (freelance-to-full-time opportunity)
• Location/Work Arrangement: New York City, NY; Hybrid (3 days onsite per week)
• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 40 hours a week Top 3 Required Qualifications
• 2+ years of experience in merchandising, product development, quality assurance, buying, planning, production, or related retail functions
• Experience coordinating product quality, sample reviews, compliance activities, or vendor-facing processes
• Strong organizational, communication, and project coordination skills with exceptional attention to detail Other Qualifications
• Experience working within retail, consumer products, private label, merchandising, sourcing, or product development environments
• Knowledge of product testing, quality assurance, compliance requirements, and regulatory standards
• Experience partnering with domestic and international vendors and suppliers
• Familiarity with product development and production lifecycles
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously
• Strong eye for product quality, color, design, packaging, and presentation
• Experience maintaining product specifications, testing documentation, and sample libraries preferred Key Responsibilities
• Manage product quality processes, standards, and systems across merchandise, incentive products, and private label programs
• Ensure products comply with applicable federal safety, testing, packaging, and labeling requirements
• Review and approve pre-production, production, and vendor-submitted samples prior to launch
• Identify, investigate, document, and resolve quality concerns through collaboration with vendors, merchants, and internal stakeholders
• Partner with Merchants, Buyers, and Vendors to establish product specifications, quality requirements, and best practices
• Maintain libraries of approved samples, testing documentation, specifications, compliance records, and quality standards
• Support product development initiatives focused on quality, value, design, and customer satisfaction
• Coordinate sample requests, sample tracking, inspections, approvals, and status updates throughout the product lifecycle
• Monitor on-order samples and ensure timely completion of review and approval processes
• Support product testing programs and manage related documentation and records
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with domestic and international vendors
• Communicate approval status, compliance requirements, testing results, and quality expectations to stakeholders
• Partner with merchandising and buying teams to ensure efficient and accurate product execution
• Educate Merchants and team members on product quality standards, compliance requirements, and industry best practices
• Support onboarding and training efforts for new team members and Merchants
• Conduct market research, competitive analysis, store visits, and product reviews to identify quality trends and opportunities
• Receive, organize, track, and distribute daily sample shipments and materials
• Maintain sample libraries, swatch books, product archives, photography records, and supporting documentation
• Support shipping coordination, vendor communications, presentations, filing, archiving, and administrative activities
• Assist with special projects and department initiatives as needed
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency across quality and product workflows In this position, you may have access to client or customer systems, confidential and/or proprietary information or data. This position is onsite and requires you to work closely with other individuals in a collaborative team environment. Benefits

Project details

• Start: flexible
• Duration: 3+ months (freelance-to-full-time opportunity)
• Remote: hybrid
• Location: New York, NY, US
• Rate: 24-26 EUR/h