Coordinator, Quality Assurance

New Era Cap; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parking

Employee discounts on apparel/headwear

On-site professional development

Job summary

New Era Cap, LLC. seeks a Quality Assurance Coordinator for its Buffalo, NY HQ. The role focuses on organizing QA activities, maintaining archival records, and ensuring compliance with product safety standards globally.

The candidate will collaborate with labs, vendors, and internal teams to uphold quality and regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s in apparel-related technical or business and 1–3 years in quality assurance, preferably in apparel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in apparel-related technical or business preferred.
• Experience in apparel or quality labs is a plus.
• Experience in global product compliance is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate global testing and ensure SOPs are followed.
• Maintain quality record archives and KPIs.
• Ensure materials meet safety standards for the region sold.
• Build knowledge of compliance requirements and RSLs.
• Review inspection reports for data accuracy and compliance.
• Analyze defect data to evaluate vendor performance.
• Lead investigations for North American B2B returns.
• Provide training on New Era quality policies to teams.

Skills

Quality assurance

Apparel/textiles knowledge

Analytical thinking

Strong communication

Microsoft Office

Multitasking

Fast-paced environment

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in apparel technical or business

Apparel industry experience

Job description

New Era Cap, LLC. is an international lifestyle brand headquartered in Buffalo, NY with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 100 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for MLB, official sideline cap for NFL, and official on-court cap for NBA, New Era Cap is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era Cap encourages people to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products.

Since 1920, this family-owned business has hired employees who are masters of their craft. We are innovators, architects of culture, experts, and forward thinkers. We demand excellence because we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the authenticity of our brand.

Interested in working with us? Check out this exciting opportunity at New Era Cap’s Headquarters (HQ) building located in downtown Buffalo, NY. This role is 100% on-site, encouraging employees to collaborate and connect in person five days a week. HQ offers an inviting atmosphere, complete with an on-site café, fitness center, and Flagship store.

The Quality Assurance Coordinator will organize and play a key role in Quality Assurance activities and the maintenance of archival records around testing programs, audit plans, research, and other activities. The scope of this position will include involvement in products produced by New Era business units Globally, including headwear, apparel, and accessories.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate execution of New Era Cap Global testing, ensures SOPs are followed, product expectations are met, and duplicate testing avoided, ensuring New Era Cap and customer specific testing requirements are executed and communicated to appropriate parties within designated timeframes
• Maintain quality record archives for testing, auditing, quality KPIs, etc.
• Coordinate activities ensuring all product materials meet New Era and governmental product safety standards required by the region in which the product is being sold
• Develop knowledge of domestic and international compliance requirements and Restricted Substance Lists (RSL), and to take appropriate actions to mitigate issues as they arise
• Stay apprised of updates to new governmental product safety requirements that impact New Era products through organizational involvement and research
• Review third-party final inspection reports to ensure complete data accuracy and compliance with quality standards.
• Aggregate and analyze defect data from inspection reports to evaluate and track overall vendor performance and status.
• Validate and approve Children’s Product Certificates (CPC) and regulatory vendor documentation.
• Lead investigations for North American B2B return requests, managing vendor chargebacks when quality standards are missed.
• Support internal defect auditing processes and generate clear reports to drive quality improvement initiatives.
• Oversee quarterly testing programs with designated vendors for fabrics, trims, and components.
• Monitor emerging compliance requirements and trends, including regulatory and legislative developments, and develops strategies to respond to compliance risks.
• Provide training to internal teams and external suppliers on existing New Era policies and facilitate implementation of new policies related to product integrity in the Global Marketplace
• Act as reference to internal partners such as business units, product development, production and sourcing as well as external suppliers and labs for all product performance and product testing related issues and requests for claim substantiation or performance attributes
• Facilitate timely resolution with regard to quality issues by working closely with Business Units, Global Sourcing, and Suppliers
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Proficient in Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Demonstrated knowledge of quality processes – preferably in apparel/textiles
• Working knowledge of Quality Management – apparel specific
• Solid knowledge of product testing and governmental product safety standards
• Ability to identify and implement Quality system enhancements
• Ability to employ analytical and critical thinking
• Knowledge of operational methods and procedures development
• Display strong reporting and communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Enthusiastic, proactive, and positive attitude, with a sense of urgency
• Possession of a communication style that is flexible when communicating with different levels within the organization
• Demonstrate the ability to multitask and deal with stress in an effective way
• Interest in growth regarding knowledge in quality systems, best practices, etc. through seminars, and continuing education

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in apparel related technical or business preferred; additional experience in lieu of degree will be considered
• One (1) - Three (3) years professional experience
• Experience or Education in Apparel preferred
• Experience in quality lab testing preferred
• Experience in product compliance in a Global setting preferred

Travel Requirement

• The location for this position is 100% on-site in Buffalo, NY
• 5% to 10%; domestic and/or global

The salary range for this posted position is $50,000 - $60,000 (plus bonus & benefits) and pertains to candidates located in Western New York. Actual compensation will fall within this range and is determined by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, education, essential job duties and requirements, and necessary experience.

Our casual work environment celebrates individuality and encourages employees to showcase their personal style. We pride ourselves on offering competitive compensation, a generous PTO policy, along with world-class benefits designed to promote health, financial stability, and personal growth.

As an employee, you'll enjoy a range of perks, including paid parking, exclusive discounts on apparel and headwear, and professional development opportunities right here on-site.

Onsite