Associate Director, Product Safety & Compliance

Caraway Home•New York, NY

7d•$140,000 - $160,000•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 own the 'Caraway Promise,' a commitment to transparency and rigorous product safety testing. The position involves building compliance frameworks, managing lab relationships, developing 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, establishing industry-leading protocols, and working closely with Asia-based suppliers and third-party labs. A key responsibility is communicating compliance information to support marketing initiatives and collaborating with cross-functional teams to articulate Caraway's commitment to compliance in a clear and consumer-friendly manner. This position reports to the Director, Product Development.

Requirements

10+ years of product safety, regulatory compliance, or quality assurance experience in consumer goods, with at least 5 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. No junior or generalist profiles.
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; familiarity with UK REACH and other international frameworks is a strong plus.
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); familiarity with material certification schemes (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC, GRS, GOTS); 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 (UL, ETL, IEC 60335) 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, including Declarations of Compliance, mill certificates, glaze and coating specifications, and batch-level test records.
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, with additional familiarity across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia) a plus.
Proficiency in Mandarin (spoken and/or written) is a bonus; at minimum, demonstrated effectiveness working through translation with Mandarin-speaking suppliers, factories, and lab contacts.
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; advanced degree or professional certification (for example RAPS, ISO Lead Auditor) a plus.
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.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with UK REACH and other international frameworks is a strong plus.
Hands-on laboratory or clinical research experience a strong plus.
Advanced degree or professional certification (for example RAPS, ISO Lead Auditor) a plus.
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.
Proficiency in Mandarin (spoken and/or written) is a bonus.
Additional familiarity across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia) a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and pioneer the Caraway Standard: define and champion a testing-obsessed, transparency-first approach to product safety that goes beyond what regulation requires, because we believe our customers deserve it.
Build Caraway's product safety and compliance program, defining frameworks, documentation standards, testing protocols, regulatory calendars, and governance processes across all product categories (cookware, bakeware, small appliances, food contact materials, textiles, and packaging); 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 (FDA food contact, CPSC, CA Prop 65, CA AB 1200, Colorado PFAS Act, and emerging state chemical legislation) and international standards (EU LFGB, EC No 1935/2004, REACH, RoHS, UK REACH post-Brexit), 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, including Declarations of Compliance, material safety data sheets, and test reports.
Design and manage Caraway's testing strategy, selecting and managing third-party labs (particularly in Asia, including NRTLs for small appliances), defining testing scope and frequency by product type and risk level, and sequencing testing within development timelines to avoid launch delays or costly late-stage findings.
Own claims substantiation: design and commission the clinical, laboratory, and comparative studies (for example migration testing, coating durability, comparative non-stick performance) needed to support our non-toxic, food-safe, and sustainability claims. Partner with Marketing and Customer Research on which claims to make and how to communicate them, and ensure all claims are legally defensible and compliant with FTC guidelines and retailer requirements (Target, Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdale's, etc.), including CA AB 1200 disclosure obligations.
Conduct supply chain compliance diligence, including BSCI and Sedex (SMETA) social compliance audits and material certifications (OEKO-TEX, FSC, GRS, GOTS); embed Caraway's material and safety standards directly into manufacturing quality plans in China so factory teams implement them consistently on the production line, not just on paper; 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 by year one; 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 Legal, Customer Experience, and Operations on any product withdrawal or CPSC recall process; maintaining 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 at-home setup (MacBook or PC)
Annual reimbursements for workspace elevation
Fully Remote work environment
Monthly reimbursements for coworking space
Monthly virtual events, company-wide offsites, and Caraway swag
Annual reimbursements for professional development
Unlimited PTO
11+ paid annual holidays
Quarterly wellness days
Monthly reimbursements for wellness activities
Employee discount on Caraway Home products
Complimentary product as a new hire