Plating Engineer

About Kendra Scott:
We are a fun, talented, and driven team dedicated to providing our customers with gorgeous products and a WOW! experience. Family, fashion, and philanthropy are at the core of our company and though we move at a very fast pace, we are committed to maintaining a family-oriented work environment and giving back to our community. A passion for great design, dedication to innovation and a strong social media presence are our building blocks for creating a unique and engaging lifestyle brand across all channels, including retail stores, wholesale accounts, and e-commerce. Our headquarters and distribution center are in the heart of Austin, Texas, and we embrace the unique vibe and energy of our hometown as an inspiration for our brand and company culture.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a Head of Quality & Manufacturing Excellence who is responsible for defining and executing the company’s global quality strategy across all jewelry product categories—Fashion (Brass), Demi (Sterling Silver & Vermeil), and Fine Jewelry. It also encompasses product expansion categories. This leader ensures that products meet the highest standards of craftsmanship, durability, compliance, and customer satisfaction while driving continuous improvement across the end-to-end manufacturing lifecycle.

This role bridges design, sourcing, product development, and production to deliver consistent, scalable quality and operational excellence across internal teams and external manufacturing partners, while positioning the company as a benchmark for quality within the jewelry and lifestyle industries.

Responsibilities:

Quality Strategy & Governance

• Develop and implement a comprehensive quality management system (QMS) aligned with brand positioning across Fashion, Demi, and Fine jewelry segments
• Establish category-specific quality standards, tolerances, and testing protocols (e.g., plating thickness, stone setting integrity, metal purity)
• Define and monitor KPIs related to product quality, returns, defects, and customer satisfaction

Manufacturing Excellence

• Lead initiatives to improve manufacturing efficiency, yield, and consistency across global suppliers
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement programs to reduce defects, rework, and lead times
• Standardize production processes and documentation to ensure scalability and repeatability

Supplier Quality & Development

• Oversee supplier qualification, audits, and ongoing performance management
• Partner with vendors to build technical capabilities, improve craftsmanship, and ensure adherence to specifications
• Implement corrective and preventive action (CAPA) systems across the supply base

Product Integrity & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards (e.g., REACH, PROP65, nickel release, hallmarking)
• Oversee product testing protocols for durability, wearability, and safety across materials and finishes

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Championing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to elevate product quality and manufacturing capabilities beyond industry norm establishing Kendra Scott as Best in Class
• Identify, evaluate, and implement new materials, technologies, and processes (e.g., advanced plating techniques, durability enhancements, sustainable practices)

Communication & Cross Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary quality voice across suppliers, factories, and internal teams, ensuring clear, consistent expectations and accountability
• Communicate quality standards, performance metrics, and improvement initiatives effectively through both written and verbal channels
• Lead regular business reviews with manufacturing partners to address performance, risks, and opportunities
• Translate technical quality requirements into actionable guidance for cross-functional teams

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate on company-wide initiatives such as cost optimization, speed-to-market, sustainability, and product innovation
• Provide technical input during design and development to balance aesthetics, cost, manufacturability, and durability
• Align with Customer Experience teams to analyze returns and feedback, converting insights into systemic improvements

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 20+ years of progressive leadership in Quality Management and Manufacturing Excellence
• Globally minded, with experience working across diverse cultures, geographies, and manufacturing environments
• Balance of technical expertise and aesthetic sensitivity with a deep appreciation for craftmanship
• A proven track record of building and scaling quality functions
• Demonstrates a hands-on solution-oriented leadership style
• Strong Sens of curiosity and industry awareness
• Comfortable operating both strategically and tactically
• Strong ability to influence and build trust with suppliers, factories and cross-functional internal teams
• A growth mindset: track record of leveraging past learnings, demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit, always imagining what is possible and raising the bar
• Strong executive presence with ability to compel and inspire internal and external audiences
• A shared appreciation for our 3 core values of Family, Fashion and Philanthropy