Quality Leader (COM)

ABOUT THE SHADE STORE

At The Shade Store, we have handcrafted the finest Shades, Blinds and Drapery for 75 years. We believe designing beautiful custom window treatments should be an effortless experience, so we offer outstanding services to help our customers every step of the way, from inspiration to installation.

THE POSITION: COM QUALITY LEADER 

The Customer Owned Material (COM) Quality Lead is responsible for overseeing and improving the quality and process integrity of all COM-related production activities. This role ensures that COM is accurately received, processed, and manufactured to meet both internal standards and customer expectations. The COM Quality Lead works cross-functionally to monitor compliance, reduce defects, and improve first-pass yield while driving continuous improvement across COM workflows.

Essential Job Functions of the position may include:

• Lead quality oversight for all COM processes, from material receipt through final product inspection.
• Collaborate with Order Management and Product Engineering to ensure that COM work instructions and customizations are complete and accurate.
• Conduct detailed audits of COM orders to verify material integrity, proper handling, and conformity to specifications.
• Develop and maintain documentation and SOPs for COM quality checks and inspection criteria.
• Report and investigate all COM-related defects, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Train and support production teams on COM quality standards and inspection techniques.
• Partner with Production, Engineering, and Order Management to resolve COM quality issues in a timely manner.
• Track COM rework and failure rates and maintain metrics to drive accountability and improvement.
• Maintain quality dashboards and ensure timely and accurate reporting of COM-related metrics and non-conformance trends.
• Assist with the onboarding of new COM processes and evaluate new materials for manufacturability and risk.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing COM process reliability and reducing quality escapes.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; associate degree in Quality, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in a quality assurance or production support role within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience working with customer-supplied materials or custom manufacturing is highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of quality control principles, inspection methods, and root cause analysis.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and experience with ERP or manufacturing systems (e.g., e-PIC, Tiger Link).
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and documentation skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication abilities for collaboration and reporting.
• Ability to lead audits, provide training, and influence cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement tools preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus.

THE SHADE STORE offer is contingent upon:

• Proof of legal authorization to work in the United States for The Shade Store, which will be confirmed by E-Verify within three business days of your hire date

The Shade Store provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.