Senior Technical Specialist, Footwear

Department: ALO Quality

Reports to: Regional Quality Director, Arc’teryx

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Your Opportunity at ARC’TERYX:

As a Senior Technical Specialist, Footwear, you ensure Arc’teryx brand integrity through global maintenance of product construction & manufacturing standards, best production practices and quality standards across all footwear categories and locations of manufacture. You will be a member of the larger Quality and Technical team in Asia, at the same time collaborating closely with Industrial Engineering, Commercialization, Material and Finished Goods Quality and Product Integrity functions at locations of manufacture, Headquarters’ Quality and Compliance Department in North Vancouver, Canada, Footwear Development Centre in Dongguan, China, and Creation Centre in Portland, Oregon.

This role is based in our production locations in Southern Vietnam region near Ho Chi Minh City. You will be working on-site at these production locations.

Meet Your Future Team:

The ALO Quality and Technical Team ensures that all products are constructed in accordance with Arc’teryx quality standards. We safeguard brand product integrity through establishing best practices and ensuring stringent adherence to specification and construction methods. We secure bulk readiness and support growth plans with existing and new vendors by providing guidance on both current application and new methods of handling product and material processes.

If you were the Senior Technical Specialist, Footwear now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing:

• Establishing quality standards for construction and manufacturing methods for all footwear factories in partnership with Quality, Advanced R&D, Design, Product Development, Industrial Engineering and Commercialization, Sourcing, and Production teams
• Supporting the ALO Quality Management in enforcing known quality standards for finished goods and raw materials from development to bulk inspection stages, with focus on preventative actions in pre-production
• Contributing to sourcing exploration, qualification assessment, education and training of new and existing factories to ensure Arc’teryx brand standards are met
• Providing technical expertise and guidance in Arc’teryx construction methods and quality standards for footwear to internal and external partners as required
• Conducting development samples’ reviews and collaborating with China Development Centre and Portland Creation Centre teams over buy-ready sign-off and other relevant meetings or reviews as part of the seasonal go-to-market (GTM) calendar work; Providing technical expertise on new models, new construction and new materials to achieve the consistent brand’s quality standards in both sample and bulk production stages.
• Collaborating closely with the Design, Development and Materials teams in Portland, North Vancouver, and Asia throughout the GTM process until bulk approval
• Reviewing tech packs, construction elements for accuracy and design for manufacturing (DFM), focusing on sampling challenges for all new, transition and dual sourcing models
• Supporting Portland and North Vancouver Product Integrity Teams and performing seasonal technical quality review (TQR) of prototypes and other types of samples
• Running risk assessments and overseeing high risk models from development to pre-production stage and beyond in bulk
• Preparing instructions (e.g. CTQ, QC Plan) for new models for the seasonal hand over to QC
• Conduct seasonal handover meetings to educate, train and align with fellow ALO Quality and vendor teams.
• Pursuing with factories on preventive actions such as pilot run / production trial, and top of production (TOP) run for high-risk models in preparation for bulk production
• Reviewing pilot run PO’s and sealed samples at size set stage to approve bulk production
• Maintaining frequent and regular connection with Arc’teryx teams in Asia and vendors to ensure protocols and practices are mutually understood and followed at all sample stages.
• Creating and updating protocols for known stitching, gluing, lamination and other critical to quality operations to enhance quality manuals
• Supporting Materials Development or Advanced Concepts teams during the R&D and development stages as required on offering technical advisory, flagging issues and concerns to ensure that new materials are meeting general quality standards and specific requirements for the intended application
• Partnering with Material Quality Specialist in ALO on reviewing and implementing any testing related tasks
• Carrying out quality inspection at various stages of bulk production when needed under the direction of ALO Quality Management
• Assisting ALO Quality Management, based on inspection result and on-site observations, to make quality decisions
• Monitoring and training vendor quality team in the understanding in quality standards and alignment of proper inspection method.
• Working with factory to prepare and review CAPA, and follow-up on site the respective implementation
• Participating with Quality and Sourcing leaders in new vendor's on-boarding program.

Here are some of the things you could be working on in the future:

• Consolidating relevant documentation for standards, protocols and other product integrity and quality elements into a Footwear quality manual
• Building a library of defect code classification with photo and physical references
• Reviewing overall footwear quality program for evolution to cope with growth

Are you our next Senior Technical Specialist, Footwear?

• You have knowledge of footwear construction, material construction, material properties, manufacturing practices and quality management
• You have 7+ years of manufacturing experience in footwear industry
• You have strong communication and interpersonal skills
• You are proactive in identifying the root cause of issues and developing solutions
• You have proven ability to lead and motivate a diverse workforce
• You remain highly flexible and adaptable when faced with ambiguity
• You show initiative to balance and resolve competing interests and priorities within strict time constraints
• You have excellent organizational skills
• You effectively balance autonomy and collaboration
• You have good proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Chinese would be a bonus
• You have the ability to travel
• You seek the best (sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right
• Your passion for your work is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it

Equal Opportunity

Arc’teryx is committed to actively creating and fostering a culture of inclusivity where voices are heard, people are seen, and values are respected. We care about the uniqueness of our applicants, employees, and guests, and we do so in a safe space fueled by curiosity and acceptance. 

Creating an inclusive workplace is connected to our core value Do Right while also having the added benefit of helping make our business better. We believe inclusion helps us to create a healthier, happier workplace, drive creativity and innovation, and reflect the communities where we operate.

All applicants, employees, and guests can expect equality of opportunity and fair treatment in alignment with our values.

Leave it Better

We believe that the mountains transform us, that how we adventure matters, and that there’s always a better way. 

Join us in creating positive change in ourselves, our communities, and the world. 

Live it. Get out there - the mountains make us better 

Disruptive evolution. In pursuit of better. Always. 

Commit. We set bold objectives and see them through.