The Senior Manager Testing & Quality plays a pivotal role in driving product excellence by leading comprehensive testing strategies and quality assurance initiatives across multiple product lines. This role ensures that all products meet the highest standards of safety, performance, and compliance before reaching consumers. By leveraging deep technical expertise and cross-functional partnerships, the role establishes robust testing frameworks, advances laboratory capabilities, and integrates emerging scientific insights into product development. The position also leads continuous improvement efforts, benchmarking, and innovation in testing methodologies to maintain competitive advantage and uphold brand integrity.
Responsibilities
- Act as the primary advisor and point of contact for business units on product quality assessment across functions and divisions.
- Promote understanding of safety, compliance, and quality standards and ensure they are followed throughout the testing process.
- Develop and execute strategic improvements in testing frameworks across product categories and functional teams to enhance capabilities.
- Oversee testing of materials, components, and finished products, including resource allocation and assignment of test levels for designated segments.
- Manage communication with stakeholders, resolve conflicts, handle exceptions, and escalate issues to safeguard product quality.
- Identify weaknesses in current testing systems, define requirements for enhancements, and help improve testing methods and standards in partnership with quality teams.
- Lead benchmarking initiatives specific to business units, evaluate testing data and market feedback, and facilitate follow-up actions with stakeholders.
- Support laboratory testing operations, refine test methods, validate equipment, and maintain testing facilities for product, concept, and lab-level evaluations.
- Build collaboration across divisions with teams in operations, brand, sourcing, innovation, athlete servicing, legal, and external partners including universities, coaches, and athletes.
- Investigate advancements in science and emerging industries to find opportunities for product innovation and convert technical insights into consumer value.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in product engineering, sports science, or a related field combining education and professional experience.
- At least four years of experience in the sporting goods sector, preferably in testing, quality assurance, or R&D roles.
- Proven leadership abilities with experience in building and guiding teams.
- In-depth knowledge of manufacturing and product development processes, including material and product engineering.
- Strong analytical capabilities with alignment to business objectives and priorities.
- Ability to interpret complex sport and exercise science data and communicate findings effectively to internal and external partners.
- Understanding of biomechanics as it applies to product performance and testing.
- Solid grasp of product quality, integrity, and how consumers perceive value and performance.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences.
Nice to Have
- Experience in managing and developing team members.
- Track record of working with global, cross-functional teams.
- Familiarity with laboratory operations and implementing testing systems.
Benefits
- Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage with HSA or FSA options.
- Support for adoption, surrogacy, and fertility treatments.
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage.
- Basic life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, with optional supplemental plans.
- 401(k) retirement plan and employee stock purchase program with company matching.
- Education assistance available for eligible full-time employees.
- Twelve weeks of paid parental leave and generous leave policies.
- Flexible time off that accrues daily and increases with tenure.
- Twelve paid holidays annually plus additional time off for service milestones.
- Employee discounts on products and access to wellness programs.
Compensation
Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package commensurate with experience and industry standards.
Team
This role operates within a global, cross-functional environment, collaborating closely with R&D, quality assurance, product development, sourcing, and innovation teams. The Senior Manager Testing & Quality reports to senior leadership and serves as a key liaison between technical testing operations and business stakeholders across multiple divisions, ensuring alignment with strategic quality goals and market demands.
