Supplier Quality Manager

Reports to:

Director of Supply & Sourcing (Ally Montoya)

This is not a quality-only role, and it is not a vendor management role. It is both — combined into a single senior seat that owns supplier development and product quality end-to-end across Hydro Jug's multi-brand portfolio.

As Supplier & Quality Manager, you own the full supplier lifecycle: how new suppliers get qualified, how existing suppliers are held accountable via performance scorecards, and what happens when a supplier under performs. You also own the quality system: AQL inspection standards, sampling plans, corrective-action programs, and the operational relationship with Hydro Jug's third‑party QC team. You are the person who ensures that what we pay for is what we receive, and that suppliers know exactly what is expected of them.

This role reports to the Director of Supply & Sourcing (Ally Montoya) and works across all three Hydro Jug brands. It is a senior IC / manager‑level seat — not entry‑level, and not a step toward building a full quality department. This is the function; you own it.

• Supplier qualification + onboarding — build and maintain the process for evaluating and onboarding new suppliers across drinkware, apparel, and supplements; own qualification documentation, capability assessments, and new supplier sign‑off
• Supplier performance scorecards — design and run the scorecard program: OTIF tracking, defect rate monitoring, response‑time SLAs, corrective‑action responsiveness; hold quarterly business reviews with key suppliers
• Corrective‑action programs — own the formal corrective‑action process; work directly with suppliers to identify root cause, document corrective actions, and verify closure. Escalate or exit relationships when suppliers fail to perform

• AQL inspection standards + sampling plans — set AQL thresholds appropriate to each product category (drinkware, apparel, supplements); ensure sampling plans are implemented consistently across the supplier base
• QC documentation with 3P QC team — serve as the primary Hydro Jug contact for third‑party QC partners; align on inspection protocols, QC checklists, defect classification standards, and reporting cadence
• Defect tracking + quality scorecards — own the defect data: track defect rates by supplier, by product category, and over time; use the data to drive supplier improvement and inform sourcing decisions

• Mapped current supplier roster across all three brands; identified gaps in qualification documentation
• Reviewed existing QC protocols with the 3P QC team and identified inconsistencies or gaps
• Built working relationships with Ally Montoya, Supply Planners (Acta and Puressentials), and Sourcing Analyst (Catherine Iverson)
• Assessed current state of supplier scorecards and corrective‑action processes

• Supplier scorecard program live across top‑tier suppliers (top 80% of spend); Q  cadence established
• AQL inspection standards documented and aligned with 3P QC team across all product categories
• At least one corrective‑action cycle completed end‑to‑end — root cause identified, action plan issued, follow‑up scheduled

• Supplier OTIF tracked and visible to the supply chain team; scorecard compliance at 100% of tier‑1 suppliers
• Defect rate trending down from baseline; AQL pass rate tracked and reported
• Corrective‑action program operating with defined SLAs and escalation path; no open CAPAs aging past 60 days without documented status
• Zero recall events; quality issues caught at origin or inspection, not in the field
• Supplier OTIF — on‑time, in‑full performance by supplier and category
• Defect rate — incoming defect rate by supplier, trending down over time
• AQL pass rate — percentage of shipments passing AQL inspection at first pass
• Corrective‑action closure rate — open CAPAs closed within defined SLA; no aging backlog
• Zero recall events — the ultimate quality metric

• 4–8 years in supplier development, quality management, or a combined supplier/quality function in a consumer products environment — you have owned both sides of this before
• Deep familiarity with AQL inspection…