National Head - Quality Assurance - Apparel Manufacturing/Retail

Designation - National QA Head

Location - Mumbai, Maharashtra (PAN India role)

Role Summary :

We are looking for a National QA Head to build and lead a robust, end-to-end quality function across sourcing, manufacturing, and retail. This role will drive quality governance from pre-production to in-store experience, with a strong focus on factory processes, defect prevention, and scalable quality systems.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in apparel manufacturing, strong problem-solving ability, and experience managing quality across multiple vendors and regions.

Roles & Responsibilities :

End-to-End Quality Governance:

- Own quality across the lifecycle - fabric, trims, pre-production, inline, and final inspections.

- Define AQL standards, audit frameworks, and rejection thresholds across categories.

- Ensure quality consistency from factory to warehouse to retail stores.

Manufacturing & Technical Quality:

- Drive quality at source with strong understanding of garment construction, fabrics, wash, and finishing.

- Lead defect analysis, RCA, and CAPA to eliminate recurring issues.

- Work closely with factories on process improvements and production corrections.

Vendor & Factory Quality Management:

- Lead factory evaluation, onboarding, and periodic quality audits.

- Manage quality across multiple sourcing bases and vendor partners.

- Build vendor scorecards and drive continuous quality improvement.

Data-led Quality & Problem Solving:

- Track defects, returns, and customer complaints to identify systemic gaps.

- Build dashboards, KPIs, and early warning mechanisms.

- Act as an escalation point for critical quality issues and drive resolution.

Leadership & Cross-functional Alignment:

- Lead and mentor a team of quality professionals across regions.

- Collaborate with sourcing, product, and retail teams to embed quality-first processes.

Qualifications & Skills :

- 15-18 years of experience in Quality Assurance within apparel manufacturing or retail.

- Experience managing quality for well-known apparel / retail brands is essential.

- Strong hands-on experience in production, factory audits, and garment quality processes.

- Deep understanding of AQL, RCA, CAPA, and quality systems.

- Experience managing vendors and sourcing bases across regions.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.

- Experience in reputed retail brands or buying agencies preferred.

- Graduate / MBA from a reputed institute preferred.