Director, Quality Management & Strategy

Away • New York, NY

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are hiring a Director of Quality Management & Strategy to lead our Quality team. This role reports to the Head of Operations and takes Away further by owning the strategic roadmap to optimize our global supply chain. We are looking for a strategic cross-functional partner who can advocate for Quality throughout the organization while prioritizing cost optimization and the post-purchase customer experience. In this role, you will architect the digital infrastructure and customer DIY solutions that define the next era of Away.

Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in Quality leadership with a deep technical background in engineering, with a proven track record of scaling global QMS and modernizing them through technology and data-led innovation.
• Deep expertise in raw materials and finished goods engineering, with an understanding of the "how" of equipment tooling and retooling.
• Leadership presence and no-ego collaborative style required to advocate for quality standards across the organization.
• Passion for cost optimization and value engineering, constantly keeping an eye on ways to reduce warranty claims that improve the customer experience.
• Autonomous and capable of pivoting global strategies or halting production in response to quality risks, ensuring brand integrity is never compromised for the sake of speed.
• Expert at identifying root-cause trends and prioritizing topics that move the needle.
• Strong communicator who can drive accountability and partnership across diverse global teams.
• Creative and innovative; love to build great new things that are fresh and unique while staying on brand.
• Agile, and motivated by a fast-paced and ever changing environment.
• Passionate about transforming travel for all.

Responsibilities

• Own the evolution of Quality at Away, building a proactive, tech-enabled model that optimizes the entire global supply chain.
• Identify and champion solutions that bridge the gap between our US-based design vision and Asia-based manufacturing reality.
• Enable supply chain systems that provide real-time visibility into factory performance, ensuring data drives our manufacturing decisions and are proactive vs reactive.
• Lead global manufacturing innovation, driving the strategy for equipment, tooling, and retooling with an uncompromising eye on innovation and newness.
• Design and govern technical excellence standards for our global factory partners, ensuring manufacturing infrastructure is capable of executing Away’s complex product roadmap.
• Manage the routine testing program, serving as the primary escalation point for quality issues and partnering with US and Asia-based leadership on supplier strategy.
• Modernize manufacturing capabilities by identifying where manual processes create quality bottlenecks, advocating for targeted automation or tooling upgrades that improve precision and scalability.
• Partner with global Product Development leadership to direct supplier engagements, ensuring quality benchmarks are met from early-stage development through mass production.
• Architect and execute a comprehensive 'Cost of Quality' roadmap, leveraging value engineering and predictive testing to optimize the total cost of ownership and drive measurable margin improvements.
• Revolutionize the Post-Purchase Ecosystem by developing DIY kits and modular product designs that lower return rates, improve customer experience, and reduce environmental impact.
• Actively seek out product quality improvements to reduce product-related warranty claims, improving repairability of existing and upcoming products, and improving overall customer experience related to product quality.
• Lead the integration of AI-driven analytics into the product lifecycle, transforming post-purchase data into automated feedback loops that inform future product design and sourcing strategies.

Benefits

• Health insurance offerings
• 401(k) (with a company match!)
• Paid time off programs (vacation, wellbeing, holidays, summer Fridays, and compassion leave)
• Discount codes, product stipends, and giveaways
• Company-sponsored volunteer and charitable opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed