Associate Director, Product Safety & Compliance

Caraway Home•New York, NY

6d•Remote

About The Position

Caraway Home is seeking an experienced Associate Director, Product Safety & Compliance to establish and lead their product compliance function. This role will be responsible for building the Caraway Promise, a comprehensive approach to product safety and transparency. The position involves developing frameworks, managing lab relationships, defining testing strategies, conducting supply chain diligence, substantiating claims, and ensuring regulatory compliance across a diverse product portfolio including cookware, bakeware, electrical items, food contact materials, textiles, and packaging. The role requires meeting or exceeding stringent global standards and establishing industry-leading protocols. The Associate Director will work closely with Asia-based suppliers and third-party labs, particularly in China, and build internal systems for scalable, compliant operations. A key responsibility is disseminating compliance information to support marketing initiatives, requiring strong communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and craft accurate, transparent messaging for consumers. This position reports to the Director, Product Development.

Requirements

Ten or more years of product safety and regulatory compliance experience in consumer goods, with at least five years focused on food contact materials, cookware, kitchen appliances, or closely adjacent hard-goods categories.
Demonstrated ownership across the full compliance lifecycle, from concept and supplier qualification through launch and incident response.
Deep, working knowledge of food contact material regulations including FDA 21 CFR, LFGB (Chapters 30/31), EU Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, REACH, CA Prop 65, CA AB 1200, FSC, NSF, and the Colorado PFAS Chemicals Consumer Protection Act.
Background in chemistry, materials science, or applied laboratory and clinical research, with direct experience designing and running studies used to substantiate product safety or performance claims.
Demonstrated experience managing third-party lab relationships in Asia (China in particular), including test plan scoping, report interpretation, and navigating discrepancies between lab results and supplier-provided data.
Hands-on experience with social compliance and supply chain auditing programs, including BSCI and Sedex/SMETA (2- and 4-pillar).
Skilled at managing CAPA processes and building supplier performance scorecards.
Proven ability to develop and manage product testing strategies, including migration testing, heavy metals (lead, cadmium), PFAS/PFOA screening, sensory evaluation, and applicable electrical safety standards for small appliances.
Familiarity with FTC Green Guides and CPSC Section 15(b) reporting obligations, product recall mechanics, and the CPSC Fast Track Recall Program.
Ability to build and maintain product component maps and material traceability documentation across a multi-supplier, multi-category portfolio.
Strong cross-functional communication and risk management skills; able to translate scientific and regulatory findings into clear, prioritized guidance for Product, Marketing, Legal, Sourcing, and Supply Chain, and to present compliance risk and status to senior leadership.
Demonstrated experience building compliance programs or functions in an environment with limited existing infrastructure; entrepreneurial by nature, with the ability to prioritize and execute without relying on inherited playbooks.
Ability to travel internationally to visit manufacturing partners and labs in Asia, up to 35 to 40% annually; experience working with facilities in China required.
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field, with hands-on laboratory or clinical research experience a strong plus.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with UK REACH and other international frameworks is a strong plus.
Familiarity with material certification schemes (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC, GRS, GOTS).
Experience with small appliance safety standards (UL 60335-1, IEC 60335-2 series, ETL) preferred.
Experience managing certification processes with Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) a plus.
Familiarity with retailer compliance and vendor onboarding requirements (Target, Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdale's, Costco, Amazon) and the documentation standards they require from suppliers.
Proficiency in Mandarin (spoken and/or written) is a bonus.
Advanced degree or professional certification (for example RAPS, ISO Lead Auditor) a plus.
Additional familiarity across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia) a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and pioneer the Caraway Promise: define and champion a testing-obsessed, transparency-first approach to product safety that goes beyond what regulation requires.
Build Caraway's product safety and compliance program, defining frameworks, documentation standards, testing protocols, regulatory calendars, and governance processes across all product categories.
Integrate compliance across the full product lifecycle, from development and supplier onboarding through market placement, ongoing monitoring, and end-of-life.
Own and continuously monitor regulatory compliance across US federal and state requirements and international standards, always applying the most stringent applicable standard.
Lead regulatory change management as a distinct workstream, assessing impact and briefing stakeholders ahead of deadlines.
Lead product component mapping and material disclosure, maintaining a complete picture of every material, coating, pigment, and component across Caraway's supply chain.
Design and manage Caraway's testing strategy, selecting and managing third-party labs, defining testing scope and frequency by product type and risk level, and sequencing testing within development timelines.
Own claims substantiation: design and commission studies needed to support product claims.
Partner with Marketing and Customer Research on which claims to make and how to communicate them, ensuring all claims are legally defensible and compliant with FTC guidelines and retailer requirements.
Conduct supply chain compliance diligence, including social compliance audits and material certifications.
Embed Caraway's material and safety standards directly into manufacturing quality plans.
Manage supplier CAPA processes and produce performance reporting to inform sourcing decisions.
Serve as Caraway's internal subject matter expert on product safety and science, building internal education that embeds our standards into onboarding and cross-functional fluency.
Act as the primary point of contact for retailers, certifying bodies, and regulatory agencies on compliance matters.
Own product incident management, leading investigations into consumer complaints and non-conformances, conducting root cause analysis, implementing CAPAs, and coordinating with relevant teams on product withdrawal or recall processes.
Maintain documentation and reporting readiness for regulatory inquiries.

Benefits

Equity
401k with a 3% company match
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage options with generous employer contributions
Access to FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSAs
Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, depending on tenure
Access to additional fertility care services via KindBody
Stipend for home office setup (MacBook or PC provided)
Annual reimbursements for workspace elevation
Monthly stipend towards co-working space
Monthly reimbursements for wellness (meal services, gym memberships, massages)
Employee discount on all Caraway Home products
Complimentary product as a new hire
Unlimited PTO
11+ paid annual holidays
Quarterly wellness days
Annual reimbursements for professional development