Quality Engineer

Position Overview

K18 is the science-first haircare brand that changed everything. Built on a single patented innovation — the K18Peptide™ — we reverse years of hair damage in 4 minutes. Since launching in 2020, K18 has grown into a globally recognized prestige brand, now part of Unilever Prestige, and distributed across professional salons and top-tier retailers worldwide.

We move fast, we care deeply about quality, and we hold ourselves to the same high standard as the science behind our products. If you want to shape the quality systems of a brand redefining an industry, this is the place.

THE ROLE

As a Quality Engineer at K18, you’ll be at the center of how we bring our products to life — and keep them outstanding. You’ll own quality oversight across our global contract manufacturing network, from incoming materials to finished goods on shelf. Working cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Innovation, Packaging, and our manufacturing partners, you’ll help build and maintain the systems that make K18’s quality standards a competitive advantage.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Product Quality & Inspection

• Perform inspections of finished goods, packaging components, and production samples
• Verify compliance with product specifications and quality standards
• Support first production readiness and product qualification

Traceability & QR Coding

• Own QR coding and track-and-trace systems across the supply chain
• Verify accurate lot traceability and pallet/unit counts
• Conduct traceability audits within manufacturing and distribution

Process Auditing

• Conduct quality and GMP process audits at contract manufacturing partners
• Identify process gaps and drive corrective actions through to closure

Quality Issue Investigation

• Lead investigations for non-conforming products or materials
• Apply structured root cause analysis frameworks (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone)
• Own CAPA tracking and verification to ensure issues stay closed

Quality System & Continuous Improvement

• Support the implementation and ongoing improvement of the K18 QMS
• Help develop inspection criteria, supplier quality metrics, and quality dashboards

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• 5–8 years of experience in Quality Engineering or Quality Assurance
• Hands-on expertise with root cause analysis and structured problem solving
• Solid understanding of product inspection and AQL methodologies
• Experience in supplier quality or contract manufacturing environments
• Familiarity with process auditing and GMP compliance requirements
• Ability to analyze quality data, identify trends, and communicate findings clearly
• Experience with traceability systems or QR coding is a plus

INDUSTRY BACKGROUND

We’d love to hear from candidates with experience in:

• Cosmetics, Personal Care, or Beauty (Skincare / Haircare)
• Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
• Regulated manufacturing environments
• Global contract manufacturing and supply chain operations

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing / Industrial Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

HOW YOU’LL KNOW YOU’RE WINNING

• Measurable reduction in supplier and manufacturing quality issues
• Effective investigation and timely closure of non-conformances
• Improved traceability and product control across the supply chain
• Consistent compliance with K18 quality standards across all manufacturing partners

WHO YOU ARE

You’re the kind of person who finds satisfaction in solving the root problem — not just patching the symptom. You’re precise and organized, comfortable navigating both factory floors and cross-functional meetings, and energized by the idea of building quality infrastructure at a brand that’s growing fast and doing things differently.

You bring calm to complexity, rigor to ambiguity, and genuine pride to the work you sign off on.

Salary Range: up to 85k (in USD $)

This range represents the low and high end of the anticipated base salary range for this position. The actual base salary will depend on numerous factors such as: experience, knowledge and skills, and if the location of the job changes.

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