Materials & Product Integrity Specialist

Kendra Scott•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Materials & Product Integrity Specialist supports material development, sourcing, testing, and product quality activities. Working independently within established processes, the Specialist reviews assigned material and product submissions against defined requirements, maintains accurate PLM and approval documentation, and supports investigations of reported quality concerns. The role partners with Design, Product Development, Merchandising, Production, overseas suppliers, and agents to communicate priorities, track deliverables, and identify and escalate risks. It supports materials and products that meet design intent, cost, timing, brand, and quality requirements while coordinating operational workflows such as material sample orders, supplier quotes, invoices, shipments, and physical and digital material libraries.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in Product Development, Design, Business, Fashion Merchandising, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
One to three years of experience in material sourcing, product development, technical design, quality assurance, product integrity, or a related function.
Working knowledge of gemstones, jewelry materials, manufacturing methods, and product-development processes.
Strong organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work independently on defined assignments, exercise sound judgment within established processes, and escalate issues outside known parameters.
Experience working with domestic and overseas suppliers.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communicating clear, actionable information to suppliers and cross-functional partners.
Proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.
Ability to build effective cross-functional relationships and collaborate across teams.
Growth mindset, intellectual curiosity, willingness to learn and embrace new ideas, and interest in continuous improvement.
Appreciation for Kendra Scott’s core values of Family, Fashion, and Philanthropy.

Nice To Haves

Experience with PLM or another product-data management system.
Familiarity with Photoshop or Illustrator.

Responsibilities

Support seasonal material sourcing and development within established design, cost, quality, and timing requirements; communicate supplier feedback and escalate feasibility or execution risks.
Review assigned material and product submissions for color, appearance, construction, consistency, quality, and alignment with approved specifications and design intent.
Maintain accurate material records in PLM, including material setup, specifications, size associations, supplier quotes, testing documentation, and approval status.
Communicate actionable feedback and development priorities to suppliers, agents, and cross-functional partners; track questions, sample revisions, and follow-up.
Coordinate requests for material specifications, size capabilities, testing documentation, and other information needed to evaluate and approve materials.
Partner with the Senior Manager, Materials & Product Integrity, to create and distribute material and product-quality resources for cross-functional teams.
Coordinate material sample orders and supplier quotes in PLM and issue handoff notifications to suppliers.
Prepare and coordinate shipments of samples and materials to external and overseas partners.
Review, approve, and track supplier invoices; partner with accounting to support timely payment and follow up on outstanding submissions.
Maintain organized physical and digital libraries for catalogues, material samples, and approved production range standards.
Track material sample ship dates against the Product Development calendar, communicate priorities to suppliers, and identify solutions or escalate delays affecting approvals.
Manage timely receipt of supplier quotes, gemstone identification reports, and material-content testing documentation.
Review assigned materials and products against established brand and quality standards, document discrepancies, and escalate concerns outside established requirements.
Coordinate required testing for assigned products throughout development and production; review reports and escalate failures, discrepancies, or missing documentation.
Coordinate wear testing, track results, and communicate findings to the Senior Manager, Materials & Product Integrity, and relevant partners.
Document and track quality concerns reported by Retail, Customer Service, the Distribution Center, and cross-functional partners; identify recurring trends and support leadership updates.
Support root-cause investigations, corrective-action tracking, and product inspections at retail locations, the Distribution Center, and the Home Office, maintaining documentation through resolution.
Build effective working relationships with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Production, suppliers, and agents.
Provide constructive supplier and agent feedback and track supplier performance, including lead times, on-time delivery, successes, and improvement opportunities, for quarterly partnership scorecards.
Support new supplier onboarding by coordinating established requirements, documentation, and cross-functional communication.