Quality Controller at Salt South Africa

• Our client is looking for an experienced Quality Controller to manage quality assurance across a wide range of promotional products, manufactured in factories across various regions. This is a hands-on, factory-facing role for someone who’s comfortable travelling on-site to inspect production runs and hold suppliers accountable to spec, across the full mix of promotional product categories.

What You’ll Be Doing
Product Testing & Certification (Promotional Products)

• Work with 3rd party laboratories to determine the required test plan for each promotional product – covering safety, regulatory, performance, and local country importation/certification requirements
• Review test plans with internal teams and Client Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) for sign-off, balancing product compliance against cost across the various promotional product categories
• Review lab test reports from 3rd parties and manufacturers to confirm tested items match the required test plan and Bill of Materials (BOM)
• Conduct label reviews on promotional items, checking symbols, instructions, and language requirements for accuracy
• Manage pre-purchase, production, and intervention testing to keep results on track with project timelines – and guide corrective action when a test fails

Factory-Based Inspection & Auditing

• Conduct on-site QC checks, in-line inspections, and final AQL inspections at factories manufacturing promotional products, ensuring items conform to agreed specifications and quality standards
• Develop product inspection checklists and protocols tailored to different promotional product categories, for use by internal QC teams and appointed 3rd party inspection providers
• Lead and conduct on-site factory audits to assess capability and capacity
• Coach and support suppliers/factories on audit requirements and corrective actions
• Review inspection reports and follow up on findings with vendors and manufacturers

Compliance & Documentation

• Provide technical support on Chain of Custody (CoC) and Declaration of Conformity (DoC) requirements to suppliers, factories, and procurement/merchandising teams, down to raw materials level
• Generate and review product specifications, including test plans and inspection protocols
• Conduct preliminary failure analysis on field-reported issues and track these through to resolution
• Stay current on global product recall databases to proactively build recall-prevention checks into test plans and inspections

What You’ll Need

• At least 8 years’ experience with 3rd party labs in a customer support/service capacity, plus 2-3 years in sourcing offices covering hard goods and softlines promotional product categories
• Previous experience as a QC Manager or QC Supervisor across hard goods and softlines promotional products is an advantage
• Practical experience managing projects into markets with local importation/certification requirements (e.g. Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia) is a plus
• Solid knowledge of product safety, regulatory, and performance requirements against international and market-specific standards
• A methodical, detail-driven approach – able to apply quality tools and methodologies consistently
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and timelines at once
• Comfortable travelling to factories/production sites as part of the role