Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Job Description: Quality and Technical Claim Manager, Asia, Apparel
Reporting To: Joerg Kairies (Quality Support Manager)
Base: Shanghai, China
Strategic Purpose: To act as the Technical Liaison between Asia Brand customers (and their cutters) and the Global QA team. This role ensures all local quality issues, physical samples, and technical data are standardized for global review and transitioning to local decision-making authority.
I. Core Responsibilities
Standardization & Liaison
- Technical Gatekeeping: Perform initial technical filtering of claims to ensure only "Verified Claims" with complete technical documentation are escalated, reducing global administrative noise.
- Expectation Management: Apply deep product knowledge to manage customer expectations regarding technical restrictions, specifically understanding that fleece defects and characteristics differ significantly from other woven fabrics.
- Compliance & Sustainability: Manage the balance between localized Chinese GB requirements and international expectations, including compliance with bluesign®, Global Recycled Standard (GRS), PFAS-free (PFC-free), Durable Water Repellent (DWR), etc.
Localized Decision Making
- Autonomous Adjudication: Evaluate and categorize claims based on a predefined Decision Matrix (Value vs. Category) to provide final local dispositions.
- Technical Advisory: Differentiate between quality-driven decisions and business-driven decisions based on deep knowledge of production processes and fabric performance.
- Efficiency Optimization: Directing local resolutions to significantly reduce "Lead-time to Resolution" for Asia Brand customers.
II. Candidate Qualifications & Requirements
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Experience: 8–10 years in Textile Quality/Technical roles, or in Cutter/Garment manufacturing roles with proven experience operating within a Global Matrix Organization.
- Technical Expertise:
- Standards Mastery: Extensive familiarity with domestic and global textile standards, specifically GB (China), ISO, and ASTM.
- Material Science: Deep knowledge of textile materials (yarn, fabric) and production processes (knitting, dyeing, finishing, and lamination) to identify root causes at the source.
- Compliance: Experience managing recycling content, audit requirements, and supplier audits.
- Soft Skills and Expectation Management: Demonstrated ability to manage internal and external stakeholder expectations under pressure. Ability to act as a "Technical Buffer" between Sales urgency and Quality reality.
- Language Proficiency: Native-level Mandarin and professional-level English (written and verbal) to draft reports for global leadership and handle technical discussions.
- Mobility: Flexibility for frequent travel (30–40%) across Asia to support joint Sales visits and on-site customer claim verifications.
Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact TalentAcquisition@milliken.com.
