Quality Improvement Engineer

Anko Sourcing the exclusive direct sourcing arm of Kmart Group that operates the iconic retail brands Kmart Australia and Target Australia. Anko's operations span the largest sourcing markets across Asia including China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, supporting an annual sourcing capability of US $ 3 billion.

With our strong commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, we provide a full suite of procurement services from sourcing, merchandising, packaging, quality assurance, quality control and international supply chain.

At Anko,, you will be part of a dynamic, growing business that delivers incredible results through a clearly defined purpose and strategy. You will work in an environment that is highly supportive, collaborative and encourages innovation whilst providing autonomy and challenge.

You will have access to flexible working hours, health and wellness programs, competitive remuneration and training opportunities with development plans to support your career growth. We offer an empowering culture with strongly embedded organisational values that define who we are and everything we do.

 

About the Role

We are looking for a highly proactive and technically strong Quality Improvement Engineer (QIE) to drive quality excellence across our supplier base. This is not a conventional Quality Control (QC) role focused primarily on inspections. The QIE will play a critical role in preventive quality management, risk mitigation, supplier capability development, and governance, ensuring sustainable improvements in quality performance.

The ideal candidate should have extensive exposure to both Apparel and Soft Home products (70/30, 60/40 mix or similar), experience handling reputed international customers, and a strong understanding of diverse product categories, fabrics, manufacturing processes, and quality systems.

 

What Makes This Role Different?

Inspection activities are important but represent only 40-50% of the role. We are seeking a quality professional who can proactively prevent issues rather than simply detect them.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Drive Product Quality Management (PQM) initiatives.
• Conduct quality risk assessments before production starts.
• Analyze PPM (Parts Per Million) and defect trends to identify improvement opportunities.
• Develop supplier capabilities and strengthen factory self-inspection systems.
• Conduct shadow audits, quality calibrations, and governance reviews.
• Drive sustainable corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Build a culture of quality ownership across supplier partners.

 

Key Responsibilities

Preventive Quality Management

• Drive proactive quality planning and risk mitigation across suppliers.
• Conduct risk assessments and identify quality vulnerabilities before production.
• Participate in Pre-Production Meetings (PPM) and review PP samples, GPT, Size Sets, and shipment samples.
• Develop and monitor Product Quality Management (PQM) initiatives.
• Analyze PPM and defect trend data to drive continuous improvement.
• Perform root cause analysis and implement robust CAPA programs.

Supplier Capability Development

• Build supplier capabilities for robust self-inspection systems.
• Coach and mentor factory quality teams on preventive quality practices.
• Lead quality calibration programs and ensure alignment across stakeholders.
• Conduct supplier assessments, shadow audits, and governance reviews.
• Support vendor capability enhancement and continuous improvement initiatives.

Quality Assurance & Inspection

• Conduct in-line, end-line, and final inspections as per AQL standards.
• Monitor production processes to ensure compliance with buyer requirements and quality parameters.
• Ensure effective implementation of buyer SOPs, quality manuals, specifications, and inspection protocols.
• Verify packing standards, labeling, assortments, barcodes, and carton quality.
• Collaborate with suppliers to reduce recurring defects and improve first-pass quality.
• Support shipment readiness and on-time delivery requirements.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Manage quality expectations for leading international brands and retailers.
• Work closely with Technical Development, Sourcing, Merchandising, RMT, Manufacturing, and Vendor teams.
• Present quality perfo