Director of Product Quality and Supplier Compliance

4Patriots, LLC is a fast‑growing, nationally recognized direct‑to‑consumer brand offering high‑quality products across camping & outdoor, emergency preparedness, and health & wellness categories. The company values an adaptable, results‑focused, data‑driven team and a culture that empowers great people to do their best work while balancing family needs and professional development.

Core Values

• Get the important stuff done – results‑focused, deep understanding of role and impact.
• Actively seek to learn, improve, and grow – intellectual curiosity and a questioning mindset.
• Ask questions and use data to make decisions – evidence‑based, rapid critical decisions.
• “We” not “I” – cooperation with peers and leaders to achieve team goals.
• See the glass half full – ownership, solution‑driven, enthusiastic and passionate work.

Primary Responsibilities

• Redesign the 4Patriots quality function: define processes, standards, staffing, and testing infrastructure based on risk.
• Lead the cross‑functional Quality Council, presenting top issues, trends, and data for company‑wide accountability.
• Own supplier quality assurance (SQA) for third‑party manufacturers, building qualification, audit programs, scorecards, sampling (AQL), 100 % test strategies, and CAPA processes.
• Develop testing and validation capability, deciding in‑house versus external lab verification (UL, ETL, FCC, CPSC, NSF) to ensure every product claim is verified before shipment.
• Build a quality gate into new product development with authority to hold launches for unresolved defects, especially for power products.
• Lead compliance and claims substantiation: review, risk‑rate, and route high‑risk SKU claims to Legal.
• Partner with Product Development as an equal, constructively pushing back on quality issues at the source.
• Manage and develop a high‑performing Quality team, expanding structure and specialization as risk evolves.
• Capture accurate quality data across inbound receiving, returns, and testing.
• Oversee measurement and reporting of key quality metrics (defect rates, return rates, supplier performance, cost of poor quality) and identify actionable trends.
• Lead investigation, root‑cause analysis, and escalation of quality issues for timely resolution.
• Travel periodically to Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and China to work directly with suppliers, warehouse partners, and internal teams.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in quality assurance or quality engineering, including direct people‑leadership.
• Hands‑on experience managing quality for third‑party or contract manufacturers, ideally with overseas (Asia‑based) suppliers.
• Proven track record of building or substantially rebuilding a quality function.
• Background in hard goods or consumer products, preferably direct‑to‑consumer, e‑commerce, or retail.
• Comfort with power products, electronics, or similarly technical and regulated categories (batteries, chargers, small appliances, tools) or ability to quickly master a new technical category.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering, science, technology, business, or related discipline (equivalent experience acceptable).
• Experience using data to assess performance metrics and drive decision‑making.
• Collaborative mindset: firm on standards while being a valued partner across departments.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, including to Asia, on a periodic basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Six Sigma or Lean certification.
• ASQ certification (CQE, CQM, or similar).
• Experience with UL, ETL, FCC, or CPSC compliance for consumer electronics.
• Familiarity with lithium‑ion battery safety, testing, and shipping regulations.
• Experience across Amazon, big‑box retail, and direct‑to‑consumer channels.
• Experience with product claims substantiation and regulatory risk review.

Performance Indicators

• Supplier qualification, scorecard, and audit program established.
• Incoming and pre‑shipment inspection standards (AQL) implemented.
• CAPA processes live with highest‑risk suppliers.
• Quality gate operating in new product development with launch‑hold authority exercised as needed.
• Claims substantiation standardized for every SKU in development.
• Live quality dashboard tracking defect rates, return root causes, supplier performance, and cost of poor quality.
• Power and electronics failure rates on a tracked, improving baseline.
• Reduction in customer return and adverse event rates over time.
• Enterprise‑wide adoption of 4Patriots quality standards, processes, and philosophy.
• Rapid issue resolution speed.

Technical & Professional Competencies

• Vision, development, and execution of a strategic quality plan in a collaborative manner.
• Supplier quality assurance: qualification, auditing, scorecarding, AQL sampling, inspection, and CAPA.
• Structured root‑cause methodologies (8D), PPAP, and engineering change control.
• Understanding of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and Title 21 CFR and their impact on distributors.
• Knowledge of regulations for food products and power consumer goods, including lithium‑ion battery testing and shipping.
• Familiarity with third‑party testing and certification regimes (UL, ETL, FCC, CPSC, NSF).
• Product claims substantiation and risk‑rating of technical and marketing claims.
• Business Process Design (BPD) and process implementation.
• Understanding of the impact and cost of poor quality.
• Organizational change management principles.
• Strong problem‑solving acumen.

Benefits

• Hybrid workplace with three in‑office days per week.
• Competitive pay and bonus program.
• Variety of health and life insurance options.
• 401 K with company match.
• Generous PTO policy.
• Paid maternity/parental leave.
• Employee referral bonus program.
• Volunteer time off.
• Professional development funds.
• Additional perks and benefits.

Skills and Abilities

Must be able to work independently and collaborate across multiple departments, manage multiple priorities, take ownership, be self‑motivated, resourceful, data‑driven, and quick to learn in a fast‑paced environment. Excellent verbal and written communication, strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, detail‑oriented, adaptable, and comfortable with the physical demands of the role.

Physical and Mental Demands

The role requires standing, walking, and sitting for extended periods; using hands for handling objects, tools, or controls; reaching, climbing stairs, balancing, stooping, kneeling, bending, crouching, or crawling; occasional lifting, pushing, pulling, or moving up to 20 lb; repetitive hand motion for computer use; and vision abilities including close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment. Reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities.

Work Environment and Travel Requirements

Work is performed in a well‑lit, ventilated, climate‑controlled office with typical office noise levels and routine equipment. Periodic overnight travel (up to 25%) by land or air, domestically and internationally, includes trips to Atlanta, GA; Salt Lake City, UT; and China. The current work model is hybrid, combining office and home office settings.