Product Compliance & Testing Specialist

School Outfitters•San Diego, CA

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Product Compliance & Testing Specialist is a business-critical regulatory ownership role responsible for protecting FDP’s ability to legally sell, ship, and scale children’s products across the U.S. and Canada. This position owns FDP’s product safety, testing, certification, labeling, traceability, and CPSC digital eFiling programs, ensuring full compliance with CPSC, CPSIA, ASTM, state, customer, and Canadian regulatory requirements. With mandatory CPSC digital eFiling now in effect, this role functions as a core risk‑management and continuity seat. The individual in this role has the authority to delay product launches or shipments when compliance standards are not met and serves as FDP’s primary regulatory point of contact. Compliance is embedded from product design through production and shipment. This role protects revenue, customer relationships, and the FDP brand by ensuring products meet all regulatory, safety, and performance requirements before entering the market.

Requirements

4 to 5+ years of direct, hands‑on experience managing children’s product testing and compliance
Experience working with a Maquiladora and/or U.S.-based manufacturing or importing company
Working knowledge of CPSC, CPSIA, ASTM, labeling, traceability, and certification requirements
Proven ability to manage multiple testing programs, deadlines, and regulatory risks simultaneously
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to confidently escalate risk and enforce compliance decisions
Travel: A valid passport, along with the ability to apply for Global Entry, is required to travel to/from the factory in Tijuana, Mexico. Travel is estimated at 5%

Responsibilities

Compliance Leadership
Serve as FDP’s subject‑matter expert on product safety and regulatory compliance across all product categories
Own compliance decisions to ensure alignment with strategic goals, customer commitments, and growth plans
Identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks that could impact product launches, shipments, revenue, or customer relationships
Maintain leadership visibility into compliance status, risks, and mitigation actions
Act as the internal authority empowered to pause launches or shipments when standards are not met
Lab Coordination & Testing Management
Own and manage relationships with third‑party testing laboratories
Define testing scope, negotiate services, and manage escalations when needed
Develop and manage the annual testing budget
Execute raw material, component, and finished‑goods testing programs
Ensure testing timelines align with Product Development and launch milestones
Maintain organized, audit‑ready records, including test reports, certifications, inspections, and compliance documentation.
Partner with Product Development early to ensure products are engineered to meet: CPSC & CPSIA requirements ASTM standards State‑specific regulations Canadian compliance requirements
CPSC Digital eFiling Program Management
Lead the implementation, execution, and continuous improvement of FDP’s CPSC digital eFiling program
Ensure accurate and timely submission of: Certificates of Product (CPCs) Certificates of Conformity (COCs) Required test data and documentation
Coordinate with internal teams, factories, and labs to ensure data accuracy and traceability
Maintain strong internal controls and audit readiness
Serve as FDP’s primary point of contact with the CPSC
Integrate eFiling workflows into FDP systems, factory documentation standards, and vendor processes
Internal Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement
Communicate regulatory updates and implications to Customer Service, Sales, and Product Development
Analyze testing and quality data to identify early risk indicators
Support the development of compliance and quality expertise across teams
Ensure adherence to global safety, testing, and performance standards
Research & Compliance Operations
Ensure labeling, tracking, and traceability compliance
Manage: Stuffed Article Registration programs U.S. importer licenses
Stay current on regulatory changes and enforcement trends
Oversee special testing or certifications required by retailers or distributors